2022: A pivotal year

Driving investments and helping build capacity for fellow local food systems champions

Providing technical assistance to state agencies, food system businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based organizations increased their success in leveraging public (Federal) and private funding. RIFPC identified relevant resources and did direct outreach to eligible applicants, as well as offered a variety of technical assistance by way of meetings, group webinars, one-on-ones, NOFA reviews, proposal management services, narrative and budget reviews, and other useful services applicants requested.

Making Progress Through Partnerships

As a network-based organization, everything we do is done through partnerships. This year we worked to deepen our connections with partners as well as build new relationships that enriched the Council’s network and increased our collective efficacy. Our partners – a majority of which serve BIPOC communities – informed programs, pilots, and advocacy initiatives around:

Food Access

  • We submitted an LFPP that will support three nonprofits
  • We have supported applications on the part of others through at least 10 letters of support

Food Business

  • We provided technical assistance with language support to at least 6 nonprofits, 4 farms, and 6 food businesses
  • We partnered with core technical assistance providers to leverage their considerable capacity for supporting our food sector businesses
  • Our Food Business Work Group, together with small business owners and business service providers informed business-related policy and investment priorities that address current food business sector pain points
  • We helped the state apply for programs including LFPA, the Farm to School Grant Program, the EDA program
  • We built network ties with business service providers who primarily serve BIPOC owned businesses in order to inform this process and engage them as partner

Food Systems and Climate

  • We engaged with the Director of Food Strategy, Commerce RI, and the RI Department of Labor and Training to ensure that state programs and services are a well represented and established element within the process

Food Education

  • We launched the new Environment & Sustainability Management Associate Degree program at the Community College of Rhode Island, in partnership with the RI Landscape & Nursery Association