Our Program Areas
Marketplace Creation
& Access
To connect farmers, fish, and food producers to more consumers and purchasers.
Education Outreach
For food education and healthy lifestyle programming and events.
Technical Assistance
& Services
For farmers, fishers, and food producers to build sustainable business practices, strengthen infrastructure, and increase production.
Research Data Collection
& Assessment
To plan for disasters and resiliency, and to bring awareness, resources, and investments to USVI farmers and food producers.
Market Capital, Emergency Support & Regranting
To provide territorial farmers and producers emergency assistance and disaster relief to promote partnerships that increase available capital for food system actors in the US Virgin Islands.
Advocacy
To promote the inclusion of those impacted by food system decisions in the analysis and decision-making processes.
Our Projects
VI Virtual Farmers Market
The VI Virtual Farmers Market will be the first territory-wide online market that connects farmers to consumers and businesses and increases equitable access to local food and online sales and markets. The mobile app will be customized for farmers' reporting needs. The beta version of the online market will launch in early 2024.
​
Sponsored by the USDA AMS Farmers Market Promotion Program; and in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, UVI Research & Technology Park, St. Croix Foundation, and the VI Department of Agriculture.
FoodFind VI, GIS-Mapping Project
Includes mapping the geo-location and production/ facility data of farms and food-related businesses in the USVI. Data collection and integration with VITEMA and disaster and emergency planning.
Sponsored by USDA AMS Farmers Market Promotion Program, Global Giving, and Island Spirit Fund; in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, UVI Research & Technology Park, the St. Croix Foundation, and the VI Department of Agriculture; and including collaborative work with Farm Credit Council, Iowa State University, and MarketMaker-US.
Resources for Resilient Farms
Provides year-round, one-on-one technical assistance to farmers/producers in St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix to assist with applying for federal funding, build conservation awareness and practices, and increase the efficacy and impact of federal agriculture grant funding in the VI.
Sponsored by USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, and in partnership with Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA).
Regional Food Business Center
Drives locally defined, regionally-specific economic opportunities to create a more diversified and resilient food system through coordination, capacity building, and technical assistance in production, aggregation, distribution/ transportation, value-added production, market development, and access to finance.
Sponsored by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and in partnership with Hawai’i Good Food Alliance and Alaska Food Policy Council.
Improving Land Access & Land Security
Provides targeted technical and financial assistance for VI farmers and food producers, programming to increase access to capital with EDA and Farm Credit Council; and facilitating comprehensive feasibility study to establish the viability of Caribbean land trust.
Sponsored by USDA Land Access Grant Farm Service Agency; and in partnership with Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA), VI Economic Development Authority, and Farm Credit Council.
Good Food Bucks
Is a nutrition incentive program that allows consumers to purchase locally-grown healthy food and value-added products sold at farmers' markets, farm stands, Farm Tiendas, and community food events that help support behavioral changes to promote health equity and combat the alarming rate of non-communicable diseases in the VI.
Partners: Frederiksted Health Center, VI Department of Agriculture, VI Diabetes Center of Excellence, VI Housing Authority, We Grow Food Inc.
