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<div style="margin: 0in;" class=""><font face="Times New Roman, serif" size="3" class="">I have attached announcement for a USDA Grant to support programs between growers and providing food to low-income residents.</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in;" class=""><font face="Times New Roman, serif" size="3" class="">Ethan</font></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The CFPCGP is designed to:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">1. a. Meet the food needs of low-income individuals through food distribution, community outreach to assist in participation in Federally assisted nutrition programs, or improving
access to food as part of a comprehensive service; <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">b. Increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for the food needs of the communities; and<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">c. Promote comprehensive responses to local food, food access, farm, and nutrition issues; or<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">2. Meet specific State, local, or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, including needs relating to:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">a. Equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a project;<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">b. Planning for long-term solutions; or<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">c. The creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The CFPCGP is intended to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and to foster understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve
local food systems. Understanding that people with low incomes experience disproportionate access to healthy foods, projects should address food and nutrition security, particularly among our nation’s most vulnerable populations. Nutrition security is defined
as having consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being. Applications from organizations that address food insecurity in rural, tribal, and underserved communities are encouraged.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">To be eligible for a grant under CFPCGP, a public food program service provider, a tribal organization, or a private nonprofit entity, including gleaners. Please refer to the RFA
for more information on eligibility.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">VIEW GRANT OPPORTUNITY: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349690" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class="">https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349690</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">APPLICATION DEADLINE: </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Monday, October 30, 2023<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">RANGE OF AWARDS:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> $25,000 - $400,000<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<b class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">For Example<o:p class=""></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; background-color: white;" class="">ACCESSION NO:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; background-color: white;" class=""> 1027526</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><br class="">
<strong class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">PROJ NO:</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> CALW-2021-07912 <b class="">AGENCY:</b> NIFA CALW</span><br class="">
<strong class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">PROJ TYPE:</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> OTHER GRANTS <strong class="">PROJ STATUS:</strong> NEW</span><br class="">
<strong class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">CONTRACT/GRANT/AGREEMENT NO:</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> 2021-33800-35849 <strong class="">PROPOSAL NO:</strong> 2021-07912</span><br class="">
<strong class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">START:</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> 01 SEP 2021 <b class="">TERM:</b> 31 AUG 2024</span><br class="">
<strong class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">GRANT AMT:</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> $329,372 <b class="">GRANT YR:</b> 2021</span><br class="">
<b class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">AWARD TOTAL:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> $329,372</span><br class="">
<b class=""><span style="background-color: white;" class="">INITIAL AWARD YEAR:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;" class=""> 2021</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">INVESTIGATOR:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> Castro,
I.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">PERFORMING INSTITUTION:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><br class="">
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY<br class="">
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92182<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<em class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">INCREASING FOOD ACCESS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY THROUGH PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION</span></b></em><em class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></em></div>
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<strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> The purpose of the Community Food Project is to
increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of produce in San Diego County. The geographic focus area consists of National City (population: 61,394) and the federally designated San Diego Promise Zone (population: 77,241). Both communities
are majority minority communities where residents experience higher rates of chronic disease, unemployment, population density, and concentrated poverty and limited access to affordable housing, healthcare, and healthy foods compared with San Diego County.
The lack of healthy food access in these communities can result in unhealthy eating and food insecurity, which is associated with adverse health outcomes and affects one out of every seven people in San Diego County. Limited access to supermarkets contributes
to the lack of healthy food access in these communities, which are characterized as having a higher concentration of liquor, corner and convenience stores (hereafter referred to as community stores), and greater unhealthy food availability and accessibility.
Community stores face challenges when attempting to carry fresh produce, including a lack of distributors that service small stores, limited experience with produce, financial risks associated with perishable foods, and uncertain consumer demand. BrightSide
Produce (BrightSide) is a produce distribution service that delivers produce to independently-owned community stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments. BrightSide distributes produce to stores weekly, offers low costs without
minimum order requirements, and provides services so that community stores can successfully and profitably offer produce to customers at affordable prices. BrightSide is currently working with 19 community stores, 13 in National City and six in San Diego.
As part of the Community Food Project, BrightSide will further increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of fresh produce in the San Diego Promise Zone through produce distribution to an additional 10 community stores. Additionally, BrightSide
will partner with local growers to aggregate and incorporate produce that is locally-grown into its distribution to community stores. By the end of the grant period, at least 15% of the produce distributed by BrightSide will be locally-grown. As a result of
these efforts, twenty-nine community stores in National City and San Diego will carry locally-grown produce, improving healthy food access, increasing the number of healthy food options available for SNAP participants, supporting local small businesses, growers
and the economy, and benefiting all community residents. San Diego Promise Zone residents will have access to fresh produce, including locally-grown produce, within a 10-minute walk of their homes. National City residents, who already have access to fresh
produce within a half-mile of their homes as a result of BrightSide's services, will have access to locally-grown produce. The Community Food Project takes a comprehensive approach to meeting the food needs of residents in two underserved areas of San Diego
County and increasing food access through a produce distribution program that will have a noticeable short-term, long-term, and sustainable impact on the community. The innovative processes, procedures and systems implemented as part of the Community Food
Project have the potential to serve as models for addressing food insecurity challenges and improving local food systems nationwide.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div>
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<div class="">Ethan Orr, DBH MPA<br class="">
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Associate Director, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Economic Development - Arizona Cooperative Extension<br class="">
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Associate Professor, Community Revitalization and Economic Development<br class="">
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Interim Director, Natural Users Law and Policy Center</div>
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