The two grants totalled $160,000, which the farm matched. The federal money amounted to about 10 percent of the farm's budget, said co-owner Eric McClam. Before the grants, the farm sold its greens and mushrooms largely to local restaurants and food hubs. Today, it sells to 32 Whole Foods stores in the Southeast, as well as to distributors such as Sysco and U.S. Foods. It has also grown from less than 10 employees to about 20.
Its efforts to get more federal money depend on the Congress' farm bill, which sets funding for major agricultural programs, food stamps and rural development programs. It’s typically renewed every five years, and the current law is set to expire in September.
The House’s bill, which failed due to an unrelated immigration dispute among Republicans, didn’t provide any funding for grant programs meant to encourage local food consumption, grow farmers’ markets and help with food distribution and post-harvest efforts.
According to an article on mcclatchydc.com, ending that funding would mean an end to the grant program that's helped City Roots.
