USDA inks pact with VA to buy food from underserved producers to distribute to Va. families in need

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) says it has signed a cooperative agreement with Virginia under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).

Through LFPA, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers for distribution to families in need.

“Local Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement grant funds will increase the amount of local farm products purchased for distribution to underserved families, and in doing so will benefit Virginia’s agricultural industry while strengthening our local food systems,” said VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie. “We thank the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for this partnership as this funding provides us with another resource to address food insecurity in Virginia and collaborate with farmers and agribusinesses to ensure agriculture has a productive and prosperous future in the Commonwealth.”

With the LFPA funds, VDACS will partner with agencies with the capacity to procure foods from local sources, focusing on underserved farmers and vendors. VDACS estimates the program will purchase food from 166 local farmers to then distribute the food to 164,000 individuals per month with a goal of ensuring the program reaches all areas of the Commonwealth. Grant applications will be accepted up to 5 p.m. on Aug. 5.