Springfield Community Gardens secures $959K federal grant

Springfield Community Gardens was picked to receive a $959,400 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The funding goes toward a Springfield Community Gardens partnership with KC Farm School and Rustic Roots Sanctuary in St. Louis, according to a news release. The project called Fresh Links, which has a $1.3 million total investment that includes local cost sharing, is comprised of training programs for farmers and food producers, a documentary film created by Ozark Vitality and an independent evaluation by Missouri State University's Center for Ozarks Poverty Research.

"This award is an investment in Missouri's farmers and the communities they feed," said Maile Auterson, founding director of Springfield Community Gardens, in the release. "By linking our food hubs across the state, we can reduce food insecurity, support local growers and build a more resilient regional food economy."

Springfield Community Gardens operates 16 community gardens, three urban farms, a community food forest and a test kitchen, according to its website. IRS tax return records available online show the group had roughly $1.8 million in revenues and expenses in 2023, the most recent tax year for which data was available.

The USDA funding is part of nearly $27 million in grant projects awarded through the Local Agriculture Market Program, according to a separate news release. LAMP includes the Regional Food System Partnerships, through which Springfield Community Gardens was approved for funding.