The nebraska department of health and human services is sub-awarding $1,600,000 to the nebraska children and families foundation to create a collaborative network to focus on procuring food from…

The nebraska department of health and human services is sub-awarding $1,600,000 to the nebraska children and families foundation to create a collaborative network to focus on procuring food from local, small, and socially disadvantaged farmers and producers and distributingthose farm products to nebraskans who are underserved by traditionalfood distribution networks. The nebraska department of health and humanservices intends to develop regional communities of practice by bringingtogether producers, distributors, food hubs, food banks, advocates, those who have experienced food insecurity, and other stakeholders forthe purpose of aligning local food production with needs and to improvethe effectiveness and equity of food procurement, purchasing, anddistribution for nebraska's food assistance programs. Quarterlyperformance reports will be submitted to capture the number ofproducers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, distributionsites, and underserved locations as well as fundsexpended for eachcategory. Annual reports will provide percentages of new marketingopportunities and purchases distributed beyond current food distributionnetworks. Through the local food purchase assistance program, thenebraska department of health and human services will mitigate foodinsecurity and create stability for producers by establishing a foodsupply chain using local vegetables, fruits, proteins, and dairy usingcooperative agreement funds from the local food purchase assistanceprogram. This work will be done in partnership with the nebraska children and families foundation via a subaward agreement. On the producer side of the supply chain, during the pandemic, manyorganizations stepped forward to work with producers to help them findnew markets for their goods and improve the operational efficiency of their business. Working collaboratively with experts across the food supply chain, nebraska children and families foundation willform the nebraska local healthy food committee to engage and recruitfarmers, ranchers, and those who distribute food to underserved communities into the local food purchase assistance program. Based on the most recent census of agriculture for nebraska, there areapproximately 7,670 producers that fit the definition of sociallydisadvantaged. Another 6,965 producers have military service, and roughly 16,740 are new and beginning farmers from which the nebraska local food purchase assistance program intends to procure food. The recipient plans to subaward funds to nebraska children and familiesfoundation.