Adams Celebrates Local Food Promotion Grant Award to Charlotte-Based Food Hub

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (October 31, 2023) –Today Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.(NC-12) celebrated Freshlist, a Charlotte-based food hub located in the 12th Congressional District, for its $749,669 award of a Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service.

“Especially after the pandemic, demand for locally grown food has soared in the district, and businesses like Freshlist have responded to meet the moment,” said Congresswoman Adams, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “USDA’s award will ensure that Freshlist can build out the infrastructure, workforce, and marketing needs that are critical to supporting our families, farmers, and local food system.”

“As Freshlist nears its 10th year, this grant symbolizes more than just a milestone –it’s a testament to our pioneering effort to cultivate and strengthen Charlotte’s local food ecosystem. While our journey to becoming Charlotte’s food hub has been one of quiet determination, this acknowledgment underscores the increasing recognition of food hubs like Freshlist as critical infrastructure. Food hubs play a vital role not just in connecting farmers and consumers, but also stimulating local economies, enhancing food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture,” said Freshlist Cofounder & CEO Jesse Leadbetter. “Being recognized as a 2023 LFPP awardee by the USDA is more than an honor –it’s a validation of our team’s unrelenting commitment to supporting local agriculture and cultivating a stronger, more resilient food system rooted in equity.”

“These grant programs support local and regional food producers by broadening marketing opportunities, such as farmers markets, local food hubs, and farm-to-institution programs,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “Not only do these channels provide consistent and profitable revenue streams to farmers, they also increase consumer access to fresh, locally sourced foods across the nation.”

Freshlist’s Food Hub has been supporting local and regional farms since 2017, through aggregation, distribution, storage, and marketing. This project will enable Freshlist to expand the market for local and regional foods in Charlotte, NC, in response to unprecedented demand for local food through restaurants and food box programs that has exceeded the capacity of Freshlist’s current distribution channels.

Freshlist will lease a refrigerated vehicle and additional warehouse space to increase aggregation, storage, and distribution capacity, hire staff dedicated to growing, managing, and executing Freshlist’s direct-to-consumer home delivery business, collaborate with a regional food hub partner to expand the availability and selection of local foods, develop effective marketing strategies to promote local foods, and enhance existing technology systems. This will position Freshlist to better serve one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. With a $187,666 match, Freshlist's total project amount comes to $937,335.

The award was part of more than $32 million awarded by USDA for 98 grant projects to expand and strengthen local and regional food systems and increase the availability of locally grown agricultural products. In addition to LFPP, the funding will be distributed through the Local Agriculture Market Program’s (LAMP), the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant program. These grant programs are funded through the 2018 Farm Bill and Fiscal Year 2023 annual appropriations.

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves as a Senior Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

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