In 2024, Southside Community Land Trust’s Produce Aggregation and VeggieRx programs demonstrated how local agriculture can effectively address food insecurity while supporting small-scale farmers. These initiatives connect local farmers with communities in need through a network of healthcare providers, educational institutions, and community organizations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program provided crucial support this year. This federal initiative, created during the pandemic, enables organizations like SCLT to pay farmers fair market rates for their produce while distributing it through emergency food systems. The program proved transformative, helping SCLT expand its network to 14 distribution sites across Rhode Island.

Partner organizations unanimously praised the programs’ implementation, with all reporting complete satisfaction with both produce quality and program communication. More significantly, 83.3% of partners reported that their access to local fresh produce “greatly increased” through participation.

Healthcare facilities like Integra and Clínica Esperanza, educational institutions including Brown Health University, and community centers such as the West End Community Center and Beautiful Beginnings served as vital distribution hubs. This diverse partnership network ensured fresh, locally grown produce reached thousands of Rhode Island residents experiencing food insecurity.

Program participants consistently highlighted the quality and accessibility of the produce. “I had lots of fresh produce that I could use!” shared one participant. “Usually I hesitate to buy fresh veggies because I don’t want them to go to waste if I’m not feeling well enough to prep and cook in the short time they are good.” Spanish-speaking participants particularly appreciated the program’s inclusivity, with one noting, “Todo en fresco y las elecciones son muy buenas” (Everything is fresh and the selections are very good).

However, the year also revealed significant challenges. Farmers reported struggling with limited water access and insufficient land availability, with some traveling to Massachusetts to secure additional growing space. “There is not enough water on the farm,” one farmer explained. “The plants start growing well but then they start dying or there’s inconsistency of growing the same thing at different times because I get different results.”

Several farmers also requested an earlier seasonal start date to better align with spring crops. As one farmer noted, “It would be better for my business to start selling at the end of May because I have lots of things like green onions, carrots, and salad greens that are all done by July (when aggregation starts).”

The most pressing challenge ahead lies in funding sustainability. The LFPA program, which has been instrumental in the programs’ success, concludes early in the 2025 growing season. However, new opportunities for support may emerge through Senator Reed’s Expanding Access To (EAT) Local Foods Act, which would provide dedicated funding for purchasing food from small and local farmers. Additionally, Rhode Island’s Department of Health is seeking to include healthy food prescriptions under Medicaid coverage, which could further support programs like VeggieRx.

Despite these challenges, the programs’ impact remains clear. “This has been my best year of farming ever because of the support from SCLT and connections we’ve been making,” shared one farmer. Another participant noted, “The quality was always great. The recipes have taught me how to use the veggies.”

Looking ahead to 2025, SCLT continues working to secure sustainable funding while addressing farmers’ infrastructure needs. The organization’s success in 2024 demonstrates the vital role these programs play in creating a more equitable and sustainable local food system for Rhode Island.

Left to right, Executive Director Margaret DeVos, Senator Jack Reed, City Farm Steward Rich Pederson, Board President Rochelle Lee, and Administrative Manager Tammy Kim at City Farm’s EAT event, June 2024

Introduced in the 2024 legislative session by Senator Jack Reed, the EAT (Expanding Access To) Local Foods Act builds on a successful model that benefits RI food producers and consumers alike. At a June visit to SCLT’s City Farm, the Senator addressed a coalition of local food systems stakeholders. “The EAT Local Foods Act would strengthen our regional food system and help local farmers and fishers put delicious and healthy food on more tables while growing their markets. It’s a win-win,” said Reed. The bill would create a perennial grant program for state and tribal governments to procure local foods for distribution to nearby hunger relief programs, leveraging government purchasing power to support local economic development, build resilient local food systems, and combat food insecurity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA created the Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) grant program and provided $900 million for food purchasing efforts, helping to strengthen local and regional food systems across the country. RI has seen over $740,000 in LFPA funds invested into the local food economy, with 58% going directly to historically underserved producers. This includes $190,000 paid to farmers in the SCLT network in 2023 alone, fueling our Produce Aggregation and Veggie Rx programs which regularly delivered free produce to 9,750 food insecure households last year.

Farmer Sienna Viette of Open Farms Retreat said LFPA “has not only provided access to fresh, locally-grown produce for [our] community, but also increased our resiliency as a small farm by providing a stable source of income throughout the growing season.” Indeed, the EAT Local Foods Act aims to codify LFPA’s positives, as Viette notes. “The EAT Local Foods Act would permanently provide funding to ensure small farms such as ours will continue delivering fresh foods to community members who have the least access to them.”