"Imagine an NGO receiving USDA grant money to construct a community kitchen where farmers drop off produce and families join cooking classes that teach about healthy eating while everyone prepares fresh nutritious meals to bring home... Imagine a community using USDA money to construct an open-sided structure to house a farmers market... Imagine a school using USDA loan money to set up cold storage as part of a larger effort to retrofit the school cafeteria to buy produce directly from farmers and return cooking capacity for school lunch... Imagine..."

-Deputy Secretary Merrigan, "Harnessing USDA rural development programs to support local and regional food systems," August 26, 2009