# Plain Language Summary: Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022

This bill is designed to put more money into farmers markets and food assistance programs, with a focus on helping seniors, low-income families, and children access fresh, locally-grown food. The bill addresses a real problem: since 2008, funding for these programs has basically frozen while food costs have skyrocketed. For example, seniors' grocery bills have gone up about $70 per month over the past decade, but the money available to help them buy fresh produce at farmers markets hasn't increased at all. Right now, only about 725,000 seniors can access the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, even though roughly 5 million seniors live in poverty and could benefit from it.

The bill proposes significant funding increases over several years. For the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, it would boost funding from current levels to $60 million in 2022, $70 million in 2023, and $100 million annually from 2024 through 2028. It also increases the actual benefits seniors receive—raising the minimum benefit from current levels to $35 and the maximum to $80 per season. Similarly, the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (which helps low-income families with young children) would see its benefits increase from $10-$30 to $35-$60. Additionally, the income limits for eligibility would expand to include people earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty line, meaning more families would qualify for assistance.

Beyond just giving people more money to spend at farmers markets, the bill invests $50 million annually from 2022 through 2027 to actually build new farmers markets and improve existing ones, especially in rural areas and urban neighborhoods where fresh food is hard to find. The government would offer loans, loan guarantees, and grants to help communities construct or upgrade these markets, including adding payment technology. Finally, the bill creates a small pilot program ($250,000 for 2022-2023) to help food banks contract with local farmers to grow produce, either using traditional farming or indoor growing methods. This approach aims to strengthen connections between food banks and local agriculture while ensuring that people in food-insecure communities have better access to fresh, locally-produced food.

Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022

Kaptur, Marcy

Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022 This bill provides for increased support for farmers' markets. The bill extends through FY2028, expands eligibility for, and increases benefits under the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. The bill extends through FY2025 and increases benefits under the Women, Infants, and Children Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the construction of new farmers markets or the improvement or rehabilitation of existing farmers markets. Additionally, the bill requires USDA to establish a pilot grant program in which food banks may voluntarily contract with their local farmers for them to grow produce for food bank programs to promote local procurement of produce.