U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.3 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Expansion of Farmers Market, Generating Opportunity for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs in Columbia, Missouri

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.3 million grant to the city of Columbia, Missouri, to further develop and expand the city’s Farmers Market. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This project will create additional indoor space to accommodate double the number of vendor booths, growing opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, providing more access to locally-grown food and creating further resiliency for the regional food economy. This EDA investment will be matched with $320,068 in local funds and is expected to create 88 jobs.

“President Biden’s American Rescue Plan offers direct relief to American communities as they work to build back better from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This investment will support expanding the region’s food economy and build resiliency into the local and regional food systems.”

“The Economic Development Administration supports community-led economic development,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project will increase the capacity for local vendors to sell their products and support a growing and diverse regional economy.”

“We’re happy to receive this grant that will further expand and develop Columbia’s lively Farmers Market in the heart of the city,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Not only will growing the Farmers Market increase access to fresh food for area residents, it will also extend better market opportunities for farmers and small business owners across Central Missouri to sell their Missouri-Made products.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission (Mid-Mo RPC). EDA funds Mid-Mo RPC to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) mission is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in economically distressed communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.