{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-and-cultivating-community-announce-investments", "Congresswoman Pingree and Cultivating Community announce investments to grow refugee and immigrant farm businesses", "2016-10-06", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Cultivating Community announced two USDA grants to expand initiatives helping refugees and immigrants in Maine launch and strengthen farm businesses.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cAs Maine\u2019s population ages, the immigrants and refugees who call our state home are becoming increasingly important to our workforce. We especially need new workers and businesses to sustain the great economic growth we\u2019ve seen in food and agriculture,\u201d said Pingree. \u00a0\u201cCultivating Community has done a fantastic job training New Americans about farming in Maine and marketing agricultural products so they can grow their own businesses. I\u2019m thrilled these USDA grants will allow the organization to reach more communities and explore new markets for these entrepreneurs.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0  \n\t\u201cNationally the number of farms continues to shrink,\u201d said Craig Lapine, Executive Director of Cultivating Community. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for farms operated by refugees and immigrants, that would have been true for Maine, too, in the last agricultural census. Supporting farmers of all kinds is critically important to our economy, to our food security, to preserving our natural resources, and to our rural and urban communities. We\u2019re committed to doing our part.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tLapine noted that while USDA backing is very important, more than half the organization\u2019s resources come from local foundations and donors. \u201cIt\u2019s Maine people who have provided the support that these new grants are leveraging,\u201d he said.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tAn Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program grant for $187,706 will help expand Cultivating Community\u2019s New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP). \u00a0The project provides training in Maine growing and market conditions to empower refugees and immigrants to launch their own farm businesses. \u00a0Funding will allow the program to expand to new immigrant communities, as well as engage advanced community gardeners and teens.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tA $50,000 Risk Management Education Grant will build on the organization\u2019s partnership with CEI to explore selling Maine-grown ethnic produce\u2014such as amaranth, African eggplant, jalapenos, collard-mustard greens, and jute mallow. \u00a0The products could help diversify farm incomes by generating new sales to refugee and immigrant communities in Greater Boston and Maine.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tPingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for USDA programs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-pingree-and-cultivating-community-announce-investments"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2968531120568514, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}