Purchase and distribute local foodtargeting purchases from socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers

The united states department of agriculture, agricultural marketingservice has established the local food purchase assistance cooperativeagreement program. The local food purchase assistance cooperativeagreement program is part of the "build back better" initiative, authorized by the american rescue plan. Local food purchase assistancecooperative agreement program purpose is to maintain and improve foodand agricultural supply chain resiliency to support local, regional, andsocially disadvantaged farmers and producers through the purchase oflocally grown fresh foods, food products, and beverages. The tennesseedepartment of agriculture is partnering with the five regional foodbanks. The food banks will serve as subrecipients of the local foodpurchase assistance cooperative agreement program grant program. Thefood banks will work to identify new partnerships for local and regionalfarmers/producers across tennessee. Each of the five regional food bankswill conduct an internal review to determine the following needs: outreach efforts across the state, program development, and program administration. Quarterly performance reports will be submittedto capture the number of producers, socially disadvantaged farmers andranchers, distribution sites, and underserved locations as well as fundsexpended for each category. Annual reports will provide percentages ofnew marketing opportunities and purchases distributed beyond currentfood distribution networks. The primary goal regarding food in thisprogram is to keep the food distribution within the food banks servicearea and to share any excess across the state. The tennessee departmentof agriculture anticipates the regional food banks, as subawardrecipients, will identify at least seventy disadvantagedfarmers/producers and over one million beneficiaries of the local foodpurchase assistance cooperative agreement program. The recipient plansto subaward funds to second harvest of middle tennessee, second harvestof east tennessee, second harvest of northeast tennessee, chattanoogaarea food bank and mid-south food bank.