Senator Jack Reed

Reed Hosts NEA Chairman for Statewide Tour of RI Arts Community

Rhode Island artists, designers, and musicians took center stage on Monday, August 18 as Sen. Reed led new National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu, the top Obama Administration arts official, on an “Art Works” tour of Rhode Island.

Arts and culture are crucial to Rhode Island’s economy and the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders. The NEA has been a critical partner in investing in creativity and innovation here in the state; NEA-supported projects have helped local artists showcase their talents and given more people of all ages an opportunity to enjoy the arts, enriching our communities and paying cultural and economic dividends.

Read more here.

Reed Convenes Meeting on State’s Growing Aquaculture Industry

In honor of “National Oyster Day,” Senator Reed convened a meeting on August 1 with Rhode Island oyster farmers, restaurant and small business owners, and environmental officials for a discussion about the state’s growing aquaculture industry and the Rhode Island food economy. 

Reed, a strong advocate for shellfish growers and the state’s sustainable aquaculture industry, and the stakeholders gathered at Matunuck Oyster Bar, opened in July of 2009 by Perry Raso.

The award-winning restaurant overlooks his 7-acre oyster farm in East Matunuck, and visitors can tour the farm to see how the oysters are raised and how they get directly from the pond to the plate.

The event included a roundtable discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the aquaculture industry, followed by a boat tour of Raso’s farm on Potter Pond, where Reed got into the water for a “deep dive” hands-on tutorial on oyster farming.

See here for more information about the event.

Reed Visits Daniele Inc. Charcuterie Factory in Burrillville

On Friday, August 1, Senator Jack Reed joined Daniele, Inc. owners -- brothers Davide and Stefano Dukcevich -- for a discussion on growing Rhode Island’s food economy and a “hard hat” tour of Daniele’s new, state-of-the-art $60 million charcuterie factory.  The facility, which is nearing completion, will be the largest and most modern plant of its kind in the world.

Daniele, Inc. has its roots in Italy, where it was originally founded seven decades ago before coming to Rhode Island in 1976, when Vlado Dukcevich came to America and built the first Daniele, Inc. prosciutto plant in Burrillville.  Now a third-generation, family-owned and operated company, Daniele, Inc. produces premium gourmet meats using family recipes, traditional old world methods, and new technologies in their climate-controlled facilities that replicate conditions in Italy and ensure maximum freshness, quality, and safety.

In recent years, Daniele, Inc. has doubled in size from 150 employees in 2009 to more than 350 today.  And the company, which started as one facility, now has three separate plants with a fourth soon to open.  Their newest facility produces around 200,000 pounds of salami each week.

Jack Reed - Photos Through the Years

Jack Reed through the years, from Pontiac Ave to the U.S. Senate. 

USS Illinois Keel Laying Ceremony with First Lady Michelle Obama

On Monday, June 2, First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, other Navy officials, Electric Boat workers, and dignitaries from Rhode Island, Connecticut and Illinois gathered at Electric Boat's manufacturing plant in North Kingstown for a keel laying ceremony for the USS Illinois, a new Virginia-class submarine to be built in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Mrs. Obama is the ship's sponsor. During the event she wrote her initials on a metal plate, and a welder inscribed them; the plate will later be mounted on the submarine. This event marked the ceremonial beginning of the ship's construction and the start of work stemming from the 10 sub, $17.6 Billion contract announced by the Navy, Electric Boat and Sen. Reed in April 2014

Monday's event was a great tribute to the men and women of the US Navy and Rhode Island's defense industry.

Reed Visits Hope & Main Culinary Incubator, Announces $30 Million Grant Opportunity for Local Food Enterprises

Senator Jack Reed joined with local food entrepreneurs, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Lisa Raiola, the founder of Hope & Main, on May 9 for a “hard hat” tour and firsthand look at efforts to transform a 100-year-old shuttered school building on Main Street in Warren into the state’s first full-service food business incubator.  During the tour, Reed also announced the availability of $30 million in competitive grants for the newly-expanded Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP).

Set to open its doors later this summer, Hope & Main helps local entrepreneurs jump-start early-stage food businesses with a special focus on supporting the local food system.  During the tour, Senator Reed and Ms. Raiola joined federal officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to meet with food entrepreneurs who are among the first members of the non-profit’s incubator program and discuss the next steps in supporting Rhode Island’s local food infrastructure.

Now in its final months of construction, Hope & Main’s 17,500-square foot multi-kitchen facility will provide commercial cooking and storage space for food entrepreneurs and small businesses that can’t afford the up-front costs of building their own commercial kitchens.  When completed, the renovation will feature three shared-use commercial kitchens, including a gluten-free kitchen and bakery, over 6,000-square-feet of production space, cold and dry storage, a demonstration kitchen and classroom, and a 2,000-square-foot event space.

Hope & Main is now accepting applications and already hosting workshops to help teach prospective food entrepreneurs the recipe for starting a successful food business in Rhode Island, including how to produce, market, finance, and package their products for sale.  Hope & Main is also set to partner with New Urban Farmers on a new, on-site community garden, and plans to host a farmers market.