The announcement is part of a $400 million American Rescue Plan program to improve food security and strengthen agricultural supply chains
Special to the Vanguard
Woodland, CA – US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Woodland, visiting the Yolo Food Bank and announced that the USDA has signed a cooperative agreement with California under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).
The LFPA is a program authorized through the President’s American Rescue Plan, which invested $400 million to make food more affordable for more Americans and help stabilize agricultural supply chains.
Through LFPA, the California Department of Social Services seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers. The announcement is part of the Biden Administration’s priority to produce more high quality, affordable food, and help lower costs for more Americans.
“Providing access to new markets for more producers and helping more Americans experiencing food insecurity is going to take new partnerships, new innovations, and new ways of thinking – and the best solutions can often be local,” said Secretary Vilsack.
“This program provides tribes, states, and U.S. territories the ability to work in new and creative ways with their local partners, establishing connections between their producers and underserved communities, Vilsack explained. “The food purchases made through LFPA will provide consistent access to locally and regionally sourced food, helping provide economic stability for farmers, producers, and families, and improve health outcomes through nutrition and increased food security.”
According to the USDA, “The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will partner with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) and California Food Banks to purchase food from local and underserved farmers throughout the state serving approximately 250,000 families and provide outreach and 
education to the farms.”
“Through this innovative program, California will be able to support local and underserved farmers while expanding access to farm-fresh foods for families in need,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We look forward to working with federal, state and local partners to strengthen the state’s food systems and support communities across California.”
“This new cooperative agreement will strengthen the resiliency of the local food supply chain to support thousands of California families and farmers facing the challenges of supply chain disruptions and the increasing effects of climate change,” U.S. Senator Alex Padilla said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the USDA to build a climate-resilient food system that supports California’s local agricultural industry and communities.”
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.
A spokesperson for the Yolo Food Bank indicated they did not intend to put out a separate statement.
