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There will be a listening session in our office (291 Morton Ave., Millville) Thursday January 11 at
1:00 PM. The focus group is limited to 10 participants. If interested email: njfooddemocracy.org/
jersey-fresh-for-all or call 609-857-1335. For more information see the attached announcement.
Note: Registration is not though our office!
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2022 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) today announced it has signed a cooperative agreement with New Jersey under the
Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the New
Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and
processed food from underserved producers.
“USDA is excited to partner with New Jersey to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”
With the LFPA funds, NJDA will work with Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) to implement
LFPA’s food purchasing programs and establish partnerships with farmers and ranchers within the state
that best suits local needs, environmental and climate conditions, and seasonal harvests. The foods
purchased through this program will be distributed in the state’s 21 counties.
USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program provides up to $900 million
through non-competitive cooperative agreements to enable state, territory and tribal governments to
support local, regional and underserved producers, and maintain or improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination. Funding for the program comes from the American Rescue Plan and the Commodity Credit Corporation.
AMS looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program that allows state and tribal governments to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic area.
Jersey Fresh for All -The Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program will be purchasing from
local farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and underserved communities. They are prioritizing participation from historically underserved communities including Veterans, women, first-generation and beginner farmers, and first-generation farmers, Black, Latino and Indigenous and immigrant farm owners. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NIDA), through sub awardee agency-The Community Food Bank of New Jersey- (CFBNJ) will implement LFPA’s food purchasing programs and establish partnerships with farmers and ranchers within the state that best suits local needs, environmental and climate conditions, and seasonal harvests. The CFBNJ, will coordinate with the other food banks (Food Bank of South Jersey and Fulfill) as well as its partner distribution organizations (Mercer Street Friends and Norwescap) to ensure that the agricultural products purchased through LFPA reach distribution points in all 21 counties. The Common Market (TCM) and the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative (NJFDC) will be key collaborators in the research, outreach, and relationship development activities to be conducted in Phase 1 of the program. Phase 2 will support implementation, including food procurement and distribution (directly by CFBNJ and in collaboration with TCM) as well as the development of the resources required for long-term sustainability and success.