USDA Awards $32.2 Million for Local and Regional Food Market Projects

On November 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), announced more than $32.2 million in grant awards for 99 projects intended to strengthen local and regional food markets and expand consumer access to locally grown food. The awards are distributed through three Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) initiatives: the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), and Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP). USDA described the investments as support for new markets, stronger supply chains, and economic opportunity in agricultural communities. These are completed grant awards, not a solicitation or open federal procurement opportunity.

The largest award pools are split evenly between FMPP and LFPP, each receiving $13.8 million. FMPP funds 45 projects across 26 states and territories, supporting producer-to-consumer channels such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism, community-supported agriculture, and online sales. LFPP funds 46 projects across 29 states and territories, supporting organizations and businesses involved in processing, distributing, storing, marketing, and selling local and regional food. The source says LFPP projects will also support value-added products and stronger coordination across regional supply chains.

The remaining $4.6 million supports eight RFSP partnerships across eight states. These projects connect local and regional food businesses with institutions—including schools, hospitals, and government agencies—to increase the use of locally and regionally produced food in cafeterias, meal programs, and other institutional food services. For government contractors, this area may point to needs involving institutional procurement support, food-service integration, logistics, partnership development, and program implementation. Any such work would be downstream of the grant recipients’ project needs and is not guaranteed by the award announcement.

AMS says FMPP and LFPP projects can help producers and food businesses attract and retain customers, improve marketing, expand agritourism, and build capabilities such as recordkeeping and pricing. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins said LAMP helps farmers develop markets, strengthen local and regional supply chains, and increase economic opportunities. The funding is supported by the 2018 Farm Bill. Firms seeking potential partner or subcontract opportunities can review the published award lists to identify funded organizations, determine which projects align with their capabilities, and make targeted outreach; organizations interested in applying for future funding should monitor AMS for subsequent grant cycles.

• AMS awarded more than $32.2 million to 99 LAMP grant projects on November 5, 2026; the awards are completed, not an open solicitation.
• FMPP: $13.8 million for 45 projects across 26 states and territories, supporting farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism, community-supported agriculture, and online sales.
• LFPP: $13.8 million for 46 projects across 29 states and territories, supporting local-food processing, distribution, storage, marketing, sales, value-added products, and supply-chain coordination.
• RFSP: $4.6 million for eight partnerships across eight states, linking food businesses with institutions such as schools, hospitals, and government agencies.
• Potential downstream service areas include technical assistance, marketing, distribution, implementation, recordkeeping, pricing, and institutional food-service partnerships.
• Award lists can help vendors identify funded organizations and assess possible project-level needs, but do not guarantee subcontracting or create procurement opportunities.
• LAMP is funded through the 2018 Farm Bill; monitor AMS for information about future grant cycles.
• USDA’s stated program objectives include expanding market access, strengthening local and regional supply chains, and increasing access to healthy, locally grown food.