The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild is one of 85 nationwide recipients of a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

The $10,000 grant is for the planning and design of the Ag Guild’s Permanent Farmers’ Market project, a multi-use agricultural facility on San Juan Island.

“We are thrilled to have the USDA’s support for and recognition of our Permanent Farmers’ Market project,” said Elaine Kendall, Ag Guild board chairwoman.

“With a year-round, multi-use facility, consumers will have increased opportunities to buy local foods and reduce their carbon footprint, and farmers’ market vendors will have a permanent location with storage and distribution facilities from which to sell the freshest, most flavorful, and most nutritious local farm-raised and prepared foods all year.”

The Ag Guild is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the primary purpose to foster sustainable agriculture in San Juan County. A feasibility study for the Permanent Farmers’ Market project is currently under way with support from the San Juan County Economic Development Council’s Rural Opportunity Fund Grant from the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development; and technical assistance from the Northwest Agriculture Business Center.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service helps increase domestic consumption of agricultural commodities and improve farmers’ income. The grants are authorized under the amended Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976.

For more information about this USDA grant, click here.

For more information about the Permanent Farmers’ Market project, contact Project Director Lovel Pratt at 378-7172 or lovel@rockisland.com. Or visit the Ag Guild’s Web site, www.sjiagguild.com.