Department of Finance and Administration: New Mexico Food Security Grant
The New Mexico Food Security Grant seeks to ensure that individuals and families throughout New Mexico have access to food, with a special focus on multi-sector collaborations that increase food security for all residents. Applicants must apply through one of the following pathways
(A) Innovative distribution models for Tribal, rural, and frontier communities: Funding will support distribution and delivery models that reduce the transportation burden for food insecure communities. Examples include home-delivered meals, free to low-cost Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, and mobile pantries/grocery store models.
• Funds can include, but are not limited to, vehicles equipped with independent heating and cooling temperature-controlled systems for transporting and delivering goods, mobile cold/dry storage systems, operational funds for salaries, and other needs as determined in the project proposal.
(B) Infrastructure funding for storage, aggregation, preparation, and processing of food for food insecure communities: Funding supports critical infrastructure investments that will immediately address supply chain challenges in food insecure communities.
• Infrastructure funds can include, but are not limited to, the purchase and installation of equipment needed to better serve food insecure communities.
(C) Startup funds for cross-sector food security initiatives: Support will be provided for initial startup funds for food security interventions that leverage state investment for both hunger relief and local food system development efforts. A cross-sector, collaborative approach to use of funding is preferred.
• Startup funds can include, but are not limited to, operational funds for salaries, contractual services, the purchase of real property/buildings and equipment, and other needs as determined in the project proposal.
Examples of eligible expenses include but are not limited to:
* Food storage, processing, and delivery equipment, including for cold and ambient storage. Examples include refrigerators, freezers, pallet jacks, and forklifts.
* Vehicles for distribution of food products and meals, refrigerated trucks, or vehicles to expand meal distribution to reach food insecure residents.
* Purchase of food processing, washing, and packing equipment, produce and fruit sorting equipment.
* Large scale kitchen equipment such as convection ovens and steam kettles.
* Procurement of equipment to support extension of the growing season, including, but not limited to hoop houses, greenhouses, or cold storage.
* Meat processing equipment.
* Local food production projects that reduce and redirect food waste and expand access to healthy food to food-insecure communities through infrastructure investments.
* Projects that support mobile markets that bring healthy food to communities or individuals with limited access to local, healthy food.
* Food Hub infrastructure (pooling resources and creating partnerships to streamline sourcing and delivery).
* Real property/buildings must be ready for immediate use. Small-scale renovations are allowable on a case-by-case basis.
Amount: A total of $10,000,000 is available. There is no suggested award range.
Funds will be distributed on a reimbursement basis through June 30, 2023.
Eligibility: Applicants must be a legally recognized government or quasi-governmental entity. A local government must submit a project proposal on behalf of a non-profit entity in support of the project.
The following list of applicants includes, but is not exhaustive of, eligible government or quasigovernmental and non-profit entities:
* Tribal governments
* Local governments, including towns, cities, and counties
* Councils of Governments
* School Districts
* Senior Centers
* Non-profit child nutrition and senior meal sponsors
* Non-profit agricultural operations, food hubs, and cooperatives
* New Mexico Association of Food Banks agencies and non-profit network partners
Link: https://www.nmdfa.state.nm.us/budget-division/new-mexico-food-security-grant/
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