Several farms and other food businesses in Western Pennsylvania are among the 110 to receive emergency grants from The Giant Company, the Carlisle-based operator of 190 food stores and other businesses.
The company worked with Team Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Chamber, the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association and state agencies to award $500,000, double what it had planned to do, due to response from small businesses in the state’s food supply chain that are struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Nicholas Bertram, Giant’s president, said more than 500 small, often multi-generation businesses applied for the program over two weeks, so “doubling the funding to $500,000 was an easy decision because it meant we could provide more hope and help to these hard-working families and let them know that they are not alone.”
Ryan Unger, president and CEO of Team Pennsylvania called the businesses “critical cogs in our agricultural supply chain” and said, “Their experiences will inform us as we work with our economic development and public sector partners to reopen and recover.”
Grants ranged from $2,500 to $15,000, with 55% of them going to PA Preferred companies and half going to special designations (LGBT-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, minority-owned, USDA -defined beginner rancher/farmer and socially disadvantaged and limited resource farmer).
Recipients at this end of the state include Anderson Family Farm, Tionesta; the Black Urban Gardeners & Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op, Pittsburgh; Brenckle’s Organic Farm and Greenhouse, Zelienople; Bumbleberry Farms, Somerset; Cherry Valley Organics, Burgettstown; Duda’s Farm, Brownsville; Fallen Aspen Farm, Volant; French Street Farms, Erie; Kasanicky Farm, Leechburg; Riverside Brewing (and Howles Maple Farm), Cambridge Springs; Stello Foods, Inc., Punxsutawney; and Sturges Orchard, Fombell.
See the full list at https://giantfoodstores.com/pages/51120-pa-small-business-grant.
Bob Batz Jr.: bbatz@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1930 and on Twitter @bobbatzjr.
First Published: May 11, 2020, 7:09 p.m.
