Bessemer, Alabama gains Technical Assistance to Start Farmers Market

ATLANTA - Bessemer, Alabama has been selected as one of 27 rural community plans across the country to participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative that helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food.

Bessemer, Alabama, will gain technical assistance to start a farmers market in their downtown, convert vacant lots into community gardens, and build an urban farm and garden plan using a former public housing property on a federally designated flood plain.

The selected communities were chosen from in excess of 300 applicants. Together, they will gain technical assistance valued at $850,000.

The White House Rural Council and 6 federal agencies, including the E.P.A., U.S.D.A., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority, joined together to declare the selection of the communities.

Each Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) partner community works with a team of experts who help community members recognize local assets and opportunities, set goals for revitalizing downtowns and neighborhoods, develop an implementation project and then identify targeted resources from the participating federal agencies to help implement those plans.

Launched in 2014, LFLP has already helped 26 communities make a difference in people's lives. With technical assistance through LFLP, participants are taking innovative approaches to common challenges, like launching business incubators to support food entrepreneurs and starting cooperative grocery stores to help revitalize main streets. They are developing centrally located community kitchens and food hubs to aggregate and market local foods. Through the integration of transportation and walkability planning they are connecting people to markets and local restaurants. Health outcomes are being targeted through school and community programs that teach children about nutrition, provide hands-on experience growing food and expand local markets and increase access to them through expanded use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

For more information on the initiative:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places

Connect with E.P.A. Region four on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4

And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast

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