Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2022 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with Michigan under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with Michigan to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
Through the LFPA funding, the Michigan Department of Education’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Project will create and expand community partnerships between existing agencies, organizations, and their local and regional underserved farmers and producers. This project will also support food program recipients through the provision of fruits and vegetables, increase community organization efforts to provide more healthy food options for participants with limited resources, and allow targeted farmers and producers to establish and expand their customer base beyond the program.
“The Michigan Department of Education is excited to partner with eight organizations around the state to ensure our families and children most in need have improved access to fresh and healthy foods,” said Michigan’s State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. “At the same time, we are pleased that this effort permits us to support underserved farmers and food producers.”
The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Through this program, USDA will award up to $400 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments to support local, regional, and underserved producers through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination.
AMS looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program that allows state and tribal governments to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic area.
More information about the program is available on AMS’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program webpage.
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