The Department of Agriculture Wednesday announced $7.6 million in funding to improve food security in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Territories. The funding seeks to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations in food-insecure communities. USDA announced the funding as part of its Micro-Grants for Food Security Program. This year, the program received an additional $3 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The program is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and awards grants to eligible states and territories through a non-competitive application process. USDA's Jenny Lester Moffitt says, "Micro-Grants provide funding to ensure communities in these areas have sustained access to quality, locally grown food." States and territories that receive funding will grant competitive subawards to individuals, Tribal nations, nonprofit organizations engaged in increasing food security, federally funded educational facilities, or local governments.