Eight organizations in Wyoming, including Casper’s Eat Wyoming, have been awarded a total of $322,705 in state grants aimed at enhancing local food production and distribution throughout the state, Oil City News reports.
These funds come from Wyoming’s Forward Contract Pilot Grant Program, designed to support stable supply chains and ensure Wyoming-grown produce reaches consumers, food banks, and community kitchens effectively.
The grants were announced jointly by the Wyoming Department of Family Services and the Food Works Group, the advisory firm managing the grant program.
Eat Wyoming, based in Casper, operates as a hub connecting local farmers directly with consumers through initiatives like its Veggie Box Program. The organization will use its share of the funding to upgrade its delivery infrastructure and acquire new inventory management software. This technology will better link local food producers with food banks and pantries, streamlining supply chains to ensure reliable access to fresh, Wyoming-grown products and providing consistent markets for farmers.
Eat Wyoming will also utilize the funds to formalize contracts with producers, refine distribution logistics, balance supply with consumer demand, and evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
The Forward Contract Pilot Grant Program is part of a broader $2.4 million initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, aimed at improving food security and local agriculture sustainability statewide. Since its launch in January, the program received 33 applications seeking a total of over $1.15 million.
A committee of food-system experts reviewed these applications, prioritizing those proposals that requested equipment or provided immediate community benefits. Ultimately, the Wyoming Food Insecurity System Implementation Steering Committee awarded approximately 25% of the pilot program’s $1.3 million available budget to these eight organizations.
In addition to Eat Wyoming, the following organizations received grants:
1890 Farms (Riverton): Expanding sweet corn distribution, upgrading food safety standards, and infrastructure improvements.
Edible Prairie Project (Gillette): Enhancing its Veggie Basket program with additional fresh produce and local protein for families participating in SNAP and WIC programs.
Foundations for Nations Food Pantry (Riverton): Strengthening relationships with local producers, including 1890 Farms, to reliably source local proteins and produce.
One22 Resource Center (Jackson): Partnering with Slow Food in the Tetons to secure forward contracts with local farmers, supplying fresh foods to Jackson Cupboard pantry.
Rooted in Wyoming (Sheridan): Connecting local farmers directly with food assistance organizations, increasing availability of local meats, eggs, and produce.
Silver Stream Farm (Sublette/Teton County): Providing high-quality greenhouse-grown vegetables free of charge to local food security organizations and developing sustainable distribution methods.
Slow Food Wind River (Lander): Establishing a Food Reclamation Project at Meadowlark Market & Kitchen, redistributing excess food from farmers markets and local producers.
Food Works Group plans to roll out the full-scale grant program by early 2026, with additional funding aimed at enhancing food pantries’ ability to acquire and distribute local foods. The organization also intends to further invest in distribution infrastructure, strengthening connections between Wyoming’s local farmers and consumers statewide.
