The Community Partnership moved to a new location after losing the county's food supply contract in May. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle

Community Partnership has received grants totaling almost $300,000 for projects aimed at addressing food insecurity.

The organization received a $250,000 “Thriving Communities” program grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a $32,000 Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant from the state.

Half of the $250,000 grant is a planning grant Community Partnership will use to raise the rest of the money it needs to buy the former Artisan Catering Company building on Route 422 in Franklin Township, which it is leasing, and the other half is for developing a business plan, said Sandra Curry, executive director.

“We received $250,000 from the EPA Thriving Communities Grant to help us develop the business plan and the operation plan for this facility, and create permanent solutions to food insecurity in the middle and northern parts of Butler County,” Curry said Monday, March 10.

She said the EPA determined those areas of the county, which include census tracts in Franklin Township, Bruin, Parker, Karns City, areas around Slippery Rock and most of Butler, to be at risk of food insecurity.

A consultant will be hired to write the business plan, Curry said.

In addition, she said Community Partnership has about a third of the $375,000 needed to buy the building and property it is currently leasing. The grant will allow the organization to raise the rest of the money needed to buy it.

“It will allow us to begin the process of transitioning from leasing to owning,” Curry said.

The grant Community Partnership receives can’t be used to buy property, she said.

“This is really going to help us get this project up. We’ve been working since we moved here last July. This is really going to be instrumental in moving the project forward,” Curry said.

The organization will use the $32,000 Urban Agricultural Infrastructure grant to build additional growing beds and a production-level greenhouse at its property and to work with Butler’s Totalus Cafe to create a garden on two small lots the café owns on West Brady Street.

Curry said the beds and greenhouse at Community Partnership will be used to grow a significant amount of food for its food insecurity program.

Totalus’ “Artisan Food Hub” project includes food production spaces, storage, raised garden beds and a rainwater collection system to support charitable food options in the city.

She said the organization will support Totalus’ efforts to create a garden to grow food for a special menu of healthy food for low-income residents.

“We can provide the plans for what Totalus wants to do and put up the infrastructure,” Curry said.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said 21 Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grants totaling $502,140 were awarded across the state.