LAFAYETTE, La. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service announced that North Lake Charles and Opelousas have been selected for the Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) program, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) stated in a press release.
"This assistance will help revitalize and encourage economic growth in both North Lake Charles and Opelousas," said Higgins. "Investing in these communities will provide an economic boost across South Louisiana and improve the quality of life for our residents."
LFLP is a federal initiative that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life through the sustainable development of their local food economy, according to the release. The selected communities will receive access to a team of federal, state, and regional agricultural, environmental, public health, architectural and economic development experts to help develop an action plan, set goals, and identify local assets that can support the local food economy and contribute to downtown and neighborhood revitalization.
North Lake Charles
The Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services is launching a community food policy workgroup to build out a vision for the local food system to include community gardens, outreach to schools, pocket gardens, and education on the value of planting fruit trees, especially in unused land in blighted neighborhoods.
Opelousas
The Opelousas General Health System Foundation will build upon a recent brownfields assessment of downtown to explore how a cultural tourism hub can bridge gaps between revitalization and healthier cultural eating alternatives.
Read more about the announcement here.
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