AM22LFPA0000C028

The purpose of this agreement is to purchase and distribute local food, targeting purchases from socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services will award sub-grants to agencies with the capacity to procure foods from local sources, focusing on socially disadvantaged farmers/vendors. The sub-grantees will collaborate with food distribution agencies to distribute these products to food insecure individuals, focusing on serving socially disadvantaged communities.

Many of the USDA food programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program are great nutrition programs, but they provide very little locally grown products. The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program dollars will allow for a great increase in the amount of local foods that will work in partnership with these existing programs to provide a full range of foods for families in need. We estimate that the program will purchase food from 166 local farmers and that the program will distribute food to 164,000 individuals per month.

Virginia has a strong network of food hubs and food vendors able to manage a large-scale procurement and food distribution operation. Virginia will request proposals from these organizations and award sub-grants. These organizations will manage the grant funds under the close guidance of Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services staff. Virginia also has a large network of food banks that are able to collaborate with the sub-grantees to assist with the distribution of food boxes.

Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to capture the number of producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, distribution sites, and underserved locations, as well as funds expended for each category. Annual reports will provide percentages of new marketing opportunities and purchases distributed beyond current food distribution networks.

Programs like the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program are a great asset in Virginia, but slightly less than 10% of the dollars spent on this program are grown in Virginia. One goal of the program would be to tie in the local growers to long-term programs like this one. We would like to see local foods be a larger part of the foods that Virginia families consume.

In the second year of the grant program, the sub-grantees can work with their farmers to plan what to plant. This will provide an opportunity to offer the products that are most desired by participants and best meet their nutritional needs.

Virginia Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services

10.182 - Food Bank Network

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) [USDA]

Virginia United States

State-Wide

Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (USDA-AMS-10182-LFPA0000-22-0001)