Workforce Access via Mobile Markets in Iowa
GrantID: 73387
Grant Funding Amount Low: Open
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant Amount High: $75,000
Summary
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Grant Overview
Iowa's food-access gaps concentrate in non-metropolitan counties where grocery store density averages one per 18,000 residents. USDA 2022 food-desert maps identify 47 counties meeting low-access criteria, home to 184,000 households with incomes below 185 percent of the federal poverty guideline. These counties also contain 68 percent of the state's agricultural workforce yet lack fixed produce outlets within 10 miles for 31 percent of residents.
Workforce constraints appear in the scarcity of permanent market operators. Iowa State University Extension reports only 14 full-time mobile-market operators statewide, with median annual operating budgets under $92,000. This limits both reach and product variety during shoulder seasons.
Capacity-first requirements therefore emphasize equipment, cold-chain logistics, and staffing models capable of scaling to 12,000 weekly transactions. Applicants must submit route maps showing service to at least four contiguous counties with demonstrated gaps and letters from county public-health departments confirming absence of competing produce-distribution programs.
Iowa's combination of high agricultural output and low retail density differentiates it from states with established urban farmers' markets. Proposals must quantify projected increases in fresh-produce consumption using pre- and post-participation surveys validated by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Budgets allocate no more than 18 percent to administrative overhead and require documented wholesale pricing agreements with Iowa-grown producers for at least 70 percent of inventory.
Readiness documentation includes proof of refrigerated vehicle ownership or lease, ServSafe-certified staff, and three-year pro-forma cash-flow statements projecting break-even within 30 months. Organizations unable to meet these thresholds will be considered unprepared to sustain the distribution model after grant funds end.
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Eligible Requirements
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