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  August 2, 2012
Wholesome Wave Receives Half-Million-Dollar Grant to Invest in New England Food Hubs, with Goal of Spurring Economic Growth and Creating New Jobs

 

Wholesome Wave was one of 13 organizations chosen to split a competitive  $9 million federal grant designed to spur economic growth in rural communities and create jobs. The Rural Jobs Accelerator Challenge Grant is part of a national multi-agency initiative overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), Appalachian Regional Commission and Delta Regional Authority.

 

Wholesome Wave's Healthy Food Commerce Initiative was awarded $568,150. The strategic investment arm of our organization will use the funding to support local "healthy food hubs" all across New England by increasing capacity building; improving access to new financing; and provide technical business assistance and planning.

 

"This innovative, joint USDA/EDA funding to Wholesome Wave is especially helpful to New England farmers and food producers," said Gus Schumacher, Executive Vice President of Wholesome Wave. "The demand for regional and local foods by schools, grocers, hospitals, restaurants and colleges is growing exponentially. New food hubs are starting or expanding to meet this demand throughout New England. Such hubs will generate additional revenue to the region's farmers, as well as new jobs for the farming, distribution, and food production sectors. This federal funding couldn't be more timely."

 

"We are honored to have been selected to help strengthen New England's regional food infrastructure," said Michel Nischan, CEO & Founder of Wholesome Wave. "With local and regional farmers and food hub operators representing the best in American small businesses, this joint USDA/EDA support is critical and timely. This innovative funding will make it possible for our Healthy Food Commerce Initiative team to work with and invest in promising 'healthy food hub' enterprises to expand their operations and build strong networks in a way that will stimulate local and regional New England economies. Doing so will provide new job opportunities for regional farmers and food hub operators by generating viable commerce through healthy food access. Because so many community members rely on both jobs and healthy food, this program allows us to feed two birds with one scone!"

Wholesome Wave's Inaugural New York City Gets Fresh! Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week Will Launch This Month With a 'Get Fit' Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge & End With a Celebrity Chef Poetry Slam & Concert at BAM

 

 

Wholesome Wave is about to make a huge splash in New York City as it launches its first Farm-to-Table restaurant week fundraiser! Dozens of restaurants, celebrity chefs, musicians and artists are getting into the act. It all starts on August 19 with a 'Get Fit' Health Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and culminates on August 26 with Chop It up! - celebrity chef poetry slam and concert at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). 

 

Throughout the week, proceeds from participating restaurants that source from local farmers, such as Red Rooster, Roberta's and Rouge Tomate, will be donating to Wholesome Wave. The national nonprofit was co-founded by Michel Nischan, James Beard-award winning chef, author and restaurateur, Gus Schumacher, former U.S. Under Secretary of Agriculture and Commissioner of Food and Agriculture for Massachusetts and the late Michael Batterberry, influential food writer, historian and co-founder of Food Arts and Food & Wine magazines. Wholesome Wave is dedicated to helping underserved communities and small and midsize farmers by working to ensure low-income residents can buy fresh locally grown food at an affordable price from the very people who grow it.

 

The "Get Fit" Health Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge is co-sponsored by Wholesome Wave and Let's Move! Brooklyn. The walk starts at 9am, August 19 and ends at Brooklyn Bridge Park where participants will enjoy free music from 11 am to 1pm, provided by DJ Reborn.

 

Let's Move! Brooklyn is a fitness and nutrition program inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. Let's Move! Brooklyn's mission is to make the borough a model healthy community by delivering fun and engaging events designed to keep residents physically and mentally fit! 

 

"Chop it Up!" is the ultimate food fight. The poetry slam contest will take place at the renowned BAM on August 26. Chop It Up! will highlight the competitive art of performance poetry emphasizing writing and style. Celebrity chefs, such as Michel Nischan and Evan Hanczor will slam it out with several well-known poets, including Stephen Colman (Def Poetry on Broadway), Kelly Zen-Yle Tsai (HBO Def Poetry), Mahagany Browne (Slam Mistress, Nuyroican Poets Caf�) and Jennifer Jones (Green For All). Actress Debi Mazar host of the Cooking Channel's Extra Virgin will emcee the event.

 

"Chop It Up!" Ticket Information:

 

 

General Admission Tickets: $125

  • Seating in the general area
  • Hors d'oeuvres and Cocktails at the event
  • Photo and video opportunities at the event

        

VIP Tickets: $500

  • Ticket to Chop it Up wrap party at No.7 after main event
  • Photo opportunity on the step and repeat
  • Swag bag chock full of items to make your next party a hit
  • VIP seating with the evening performers

 

To purchase online please go to: http://wholesomewave.org/newyorkcitygetsfresh/

 

Host Committee: (partial list)

 

Andrew Hertzmark - Ariane Batterberry

Ben Lilienthal - Bobby Flay - Charles Blow

Curt Ellis - Danny Simmons - Jean-George

Jeff Tkach - J Love Calderon - Lockie Andrews

Melissa Ho - Michael Skolnik - Nell Newman

Patrick Collins - Phil Suarez -Rachel Goldstein

Scott Cullen

 

Participating Restaurants: (partial list)

 

Egg - 135 N. 5th Street - BK | Parrish Hall - 109a N. 3rd Street - BK | Rucola - 190 Dean St. - BK | Scopello - 63 Lafayette Ave. - BK | Red Rooster - 310 Malcolm X Blvd. - Harlem | Speedy Romeo - 376 Classon Ave - BK | Brooklyn Moon - 745 Fulton Street - BK | Mo's - 80 Lafayette - BK | No.7 - 7 Greene Ave - BK | La Caye - 35 Lafayette Ave - BK | The Spot - 417 Prospect Pl - BK | Landmarc (2 locations) - 179 W. Broadway and 10 Columbus Circle, Flr 3 - NYC | Rouge Tomate - 10 East 60th Street - NYC | applewood - 501 11th Street - BK | Bell, Book and Candle - 141 West 10th Street - NYC | PRINT Restaurant & The Press Lounge - 653 11th Ave - NYC | Ted & Honey - 264 Clinton St - BK | Ditch Plains - 100 W. 82nd St - NYC

Wholesome Wave is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization whose mission is to improve access and affordability of fresh, healthy, locally-grown produce to historically underserved communities. Doing so creates economic viability through local food commerce that can rebuild our nation's food system. To learn more about the work of Wholesome Wave, visit www.wholesomewave.org.
 
NHPR - New Hampshire Public Radio
 

The idea for doubling the value of food stamps at farmer's markets came to Gus Schumacher in 1980. He was in Boston helping his brother, a farmer, clean up at the end of the day.

 

"I was packing up a box of pears at the Dorchester Fields Corner Farmer's Market. And the box fell apart, and all the pears went into the gutter."

 

Schumacher created a small program that gave help to poor families who wanted to buy produce. Today, he's in charge of Wholesome Wave, a non-profit that finances over 300 food stamp incentive programs at farmer's markets nationwide.

 
Click here for more from NHPR
 
WFPL - Louisville, KY Public Radio

Over a dozen local food distributors from around the nation will convene in Louisville this week to discuss ways to improve the local food movement.

 

Louisville-based Grasshoppers Distribution will host the summit. The local food distributor recently earned the confidence and investment to grow its operations, but professionals say there's still work to do before small distributors can compete with larger stores.

 

Grasshoppers Distribution was chosen from over 30 local food hubs to receive a $50,000 loan from Wholesome Wave, which helps local food distributors improve operations. 

 

Click here for more from WFPL

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