Purchase and distribute local food targeting purchases from socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded a $450,000 Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement to the Alabama Quassarte Service Association, representing the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town in Oklahoma. The purpose of this 2-year agreement is for the Tribal Town to purchase and distribute local foods, with a focus on supporting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers within a 400-mile radius. The Tribal Town will work with local food distributors to receive weekly deliveries of fresh, Oklahoma-grown products, which will then be sorted and prepared for distribution to Tribal members, including home deliveries for homebound elders. Quarterly reports will track the number of producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, distribution sites, and underserved locations served, as well as funds expended. The agreement aims to provide economic opportunities for local producers while ensuring Tribal members, including children, have access to fresh, healthy foods.

The alabama quassarte tribal town title VI elder nutrition director will make purchases from local producers and from a local distributor of made in oklahoma products. Once products/good are received, volunteers will store the goods onto shelves inside the levina beaver elder building. The plans consist of receiving a weekly order of products to distribute on fridays to alabama quassarte tribal town elders and children by having a drive through pick up or entering and selecting their own choices of products. Elder nutrition program will create an application with basic information and a copy of tribal citizenship for reporting purposes. Alabama quassarte tribal town will work with local food distributors who have access and transportation means to transport/deliver products grown and produced in oklahoma by local producers and ranchers within a 400-mile radius. The local food distributors will make weekly fresh food deliveries for alabama quassarte tribal town tribal members participating in the program. Alabama quassarte tribal town will receive the products in-house, sort, and prepare the food for pick up from the levina beaver elder center on a weekly basis. Alabama quassarte tribal town title VI elder nutrition program makes daily meal deliveries to homebound elders and will deliver the fresh foods for the elders who are unable to pick up food from the elder center. Sign-in sheets will be provided for tribal members at each pick up that will collect data. Quarterly performance reports will be submitted to capture the number of producers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, distribution sites, and underserved locations as well as funds expended for each category. Annual reports will provide percentages of new marketing opportunities. The benefits of having cooperative agreements are a win for the state of oklahoma and its citizens. The producers/ranchers, state and tribal citizens all benefit from cooperative agreements that allow purchases of healthy foods locally grown from local producers and ranchers. The producers/ranchers, state, and tribal citizens all benefit from cooperative agreements that allow purchases of healthy foods locally grown from local producers and ranchers. The producers and ranchers earn money for their livelihoods and farms while oklahoma communities are being provided fresh and healthy foods with having cooperative agreements in place. The alabama-quassarte tribal town children will benefit by having fresh fruits, juices, and vegetables provided directly to them and their parents/caretakers by the tribal town, ensuring they are receiving fresh and healthy foods. The recipient does not plan to subaward funds.