Purchase local food targeting purchases from small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, for distribution to schools

The purpose of the award is to increase purchases of food produced in texas and strengthen the supply chain from producers to texas schools operating the national school lunch and school breakfast programs. Texas department of agriculture is requesting $22,311,051, which will be distributed through subawards to entities that can aggregate and distribute products across different geographic regions of texas. The intent of these subawards is to require awardees to target local, small businesses, regional farmers and producers, including socially disadvantaged producers. Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to capture the number of producers, small businesses and socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, dollar value of purchases, and type of food purchased. Annual reports will provide percentages of new marketing opportunities established by purchasing from local and regional farmers and producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, and small businesses. Texas department of agriculture will create a program to foster in-state, long-term relationships and build sustainable market opportunities for texas producers, with an emphasis on supporting socially disadvantaged producers and small businesses to increase the amount of products distributed to texas schools. The goal is to support national school lunch program and school breakfast program schools facing supply chain challenges while strengthening the texas local and regional food system to build new connections with producers that will benefit from the consistency and reliability of the school food market. The recipient plans to subaward to wholesalers and distributors for direct purchase of food, storage, and delivery to schools.