Agricultural Marketing Service

Apply Within: Matching Grants to Boost State Research Efforts

Tomatoes on the vine in Hopewell, NJ. Photo by Nosha.

In 2010, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture developed a plan to help local growers find new opportunities to bring their fresh, healthy food to consumers and markets within the state. They partnered with Rutgers University's Food Innovation Center and the New Jersey Department of Family and Community Health Sciences to create healthy recipes from locally grown ingredients that were also tasty and affordable options for school menus.

Super Bowl Concessions Go Organic and Local

Fans at the Lucas Oil Stadium, pictured here, will be served three flavors of chili made from organic and locally grown ingredients.

There's a new menu item in town for the Super Bowl: white bean chili made with organic beans and vegetables. The push to bring organic and locally-grown options to the concession stand came from a partnership between non-profits that support family farms, celebrities and Centerplate, the NFL's largest concession provider.

For the Love of the Game... or at Least the Chicken Wings

Whether you are an avid football fan who can't wait until kickoff or you're part of the 40 percent going to a Super Bowl party just for the food, there's a good chance you will be as close to chicken wings as the television on Sunday.

In fact, the National Chicken Council estimates that Americans will consume nearly 1.25 billion wings during this year's Super Bowl.

Good Food for All: Food Hubs at Work in Philadelphia

Leveraging the buying power of the entire community creates a steady demand for local farmers and brings fresh produce, like the squash pictured above, to community hospitals and schools.

There are many communities across the country grappling with limited access to affordable, fresh fruits and vegetables at a time when these same communities are fighting rising rates of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses.

The very definition of community--that inter-connectedness between residents, businesses, hospitals and schools--means that health or food issues that affect one part of the community can have a negative impact on the rest.