I am excited to share that a new research proposal, “Roads to Market: A Practitioner-Facing Decision Tool for Evaluating Transportation Options for Small and Mid-Sized Producers,” has been officially funded by a $300,000 grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
This two-year project addresses critical last-mile and regional transportation challenges facing local food networks. As freight constraints and fluctuating fuel prices continue to squeeze supply chains, the goal is to build an interactive, data-driven decision-support tool. This tool will directly empower small and mid-sized agricultural producers to evaluate transit options, optimize logistical efficiency, and sustainably scale their market reach.
