On Tuesday, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) signed its latest cooperative agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). The PA-LFPA will work with Pennsylvania’s local food system to procure top-graded, high-quality products for distribution through the charitable food system serving all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties. PDA will distribute food products produced in-state with a goal of reaching at least 1 million low-income households by working with at least 40 farms, producers, and food companies, including at least 10 vendors which identify as underserved and at least 10 direct-to-agency delivery partnerships. “This agreement will further our efforts to get healthy foods onto the tables of more Pennsylvanians in need,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “These dollars will expand the capacity of our continuing partnership with Feeding Pennsylvania and its 13 regional food banks to reach at least one million underserved households, who will sleep better knowing where their next meal will come from.” 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. To see the full list of agreements that USDA has signed with other states, territories and tribes, click here.
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