FEEDING SAN DIEGO PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL PROGRAM TO SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS, FOOD SYSTEMS AND COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY

The hunger-relief organization is distributing locally grown produce as part of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA)

SAN DIEGO, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Feeding San Diego, San Diego County's leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization, is now distributing produce from local farms purchased with federal funds intended to bolster the underserved, both farmers and community members served by hunger-relief organizations.

Starting last month, Feeding San Diego—a partner food bank of Feeding America—started working with local farm cooperative Foodshed to source locally grown produce as part of the LFPA program and distribute it to 1,350 households at two sites in San Diego County. One is in the city of San Diego and another is in the rural community of Alpine. As part of the program, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be injected into the local food economy by purchasing local produce over the next two years. The funding is made available to Feeding San Diego through the California Association of Food Banks, California's leading hunger-relief organization of which Feeding San Diego is a member. 

"Purchasing locally grown, organic produce is usually out of reach for our organization, because of the cost and the fact that we provide millions of pounds of food through hunger-relief programs throughout the county. Still, we know it's critical to the strength of our local economy, environment, and community to support local food systems whenever possible," said Patty O'Connor, chief operations officer at Feeding San Diego. "While we do receive food donations from local farmers, we have not been able to purchase from them. The LFPA program centers on the importance of supporting local food systems in our hunger relief work, which we hope will remain at the forefront of our sourcing practices in the years to come."  

The LFPA program is a national program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides funds from the American Rescue Plan and Commodity Credit Corporation for state, tribal, and territorial governments to purchase foods produced within the state or 400 miles of the delivery destination. It supports the local food system and, at the same time, builds and expands economic opportunities for local and underserved producers. Produce that has been distributed so far includes locally grown tangelos, beets, broccoli, cabbage, arugula, kale, kabocha squash, and shiitake mushrooms. 

SOURCE Feeding San Diego