Illinois is giving out nearly $2 million in grants to help with local food and distribution across the state, including $8,100 to the Palomares Social Justice Center in Rock Island.
The Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grants are funded through the Illinois Department of Agriculture. A total of 19 recipients covering all parts of Illinois and a wide array of creative and essential projects received grants to help local farmers and growers get more products to more markets, more easily and cost effectively.
The Palomares Social Justice Center, the only Quad Cities recipient, serves the surrounding area including vulnerable residents in Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood. The Center is seeing increased food access needs in the community and lacks the refrigeration to properly store local produce grown at urban farms in the area.
With the grant, Palomares will be able to purchase refrigeration units to store more fresh, locally grown produce it can provide to the community for free.
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance joined with top state officials, a bi-partisan group of state legislators and some of the recipients of the inaugural Local Food Infrastructure grants to support the development of the state’s local food network. For more information, visit www.illinoislfig.org.
