Port Townsend Food Co-op awards nearly $84,000 in Farmer Fund grants.

The Port Townsend Food Co-op awarded $83,844 from its Farmer Fund to 13 Jefferson County farms, funded in part by round-up donations at the register; grants will support equipment, infrastructure and regenerative food-system projects.

The Port Townsend Food Co-op announced $83,844 in grants from its Farmer Fund to 13 Jefferson County farms. The fund supports farm infrastructure, equipment and regenerative food-system projects to strengthen the county's rural food economy. It is supported in part by round-up donations at the co-op cash register from shoppers and member-owners. The Co-op's Community Engagement Committee reviewed 27 applications and awarded five full grants and eight partial grants. Grant program details: - This grant cycle provided $83,844 to 13 Jefferson County farms. - The Farmer Fund is supported by register round-up donations from shoppers and member-owners. - The Community Engagement Committee received 27 applications and used an objective scoring process to award five full grants and eight partial grants. - Funded projects cover equipment, infrastructure and collaborative initiatives intended to increase food access, production capacity and sustainability. - Examples of approved uses include cold storage, tractors, power harrows, refrigeration, seed-cleaning equipment, an autoclave, a delivery van and barn repairs. - Since 2023 the Farmer Fund has awarded more than $175,000 to the Jefferson County agricultural economy. Summary: The awards aim to build capacity across a variety of small farms and food projects, supporting production, storage and distribution in Jefferson County. The grants were selected through a scoring process and are supported by shopper round-ups; the fund has distributed over $175,000 since 2023. Undetermined at this time.