Language Translation
  Close Menu

Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program

Overview

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service established the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and awarded over $400 million in funding through non-competitive cooperative agreements to state and tribal governments, intended to improve supply chain resiliency and support socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. LFPA has three fundamental goals:

  1. The purchase of domestic foods from local, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
  2. The distribution of food to socially vulnerable communities that are not normally served, or are underserved, by the normal food distribution network.
  3. Expanded long-term economic opportunities for local/regional, socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and producers.

In Indiana, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) holds the cooperative agreement with USDA and serves the lead state agency, with collaboration and support from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The effort is being co-lead at IDOH by Women, Infants and Childrenn (WIC) and the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA).

LFPA Tracks

The LFPA allocation for Indiana is $6.9 million, with an additional LFPA Plus allocation of $5,863,175 – with a total award for Indiana of $12,763,175. IDOH has taken a two-pronged approach to the project and split the allocation into two separate tracks.

While the funds from this grant program itself will impact farmers, the hope is that the networking opportunities offered in addition to the funding will provide each farmer the chance to enter new markets, diversify their operation or gain significant knowledge that will benefit their operations upon the conclusion of this grant program.

Track 1

The Indiana WIC Division oversees thirteen regions focused on counties with high levels of socially-disadvantaged (those subject to discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, sex, national origin, disability or religion) residents. Funding flows through an association of food banks which purchases food from socially-disadvantage producers delivering directly to the nearest association member or distribution site.

For more information about LFPA Track 1, visit the LFPA Fresh Connect at https://www.freshconnectcentral.org/lfpa.

Track 2

The Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity oversees a regional approach that divides the state of Indiana into 5 distinct regions. In the summer of 2022, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was released to regional partnership cohorts that focus on the above goals (purchase and distribution of food from local/socially disadvantaged producers) AND long-term economic expansion strategies for producers; awards have now been made to 5 organizations through this RFP process.

Get Started

If you are a farmer or regional stakeholder interested in participating in LFPA Track 2, please contact your regional representative below:

Northwest Indiana
Pastor Curtis Whittaker
Families Anchored in Total Harmony (FAITH CDC)
cwhittaker@cawhittakercpa.com

Northeast Indiana
Ty Simmons
Human Agricultural Cooperative
humanagriculturalcoop@gmail.com

Central
Imhotep Adisa
Kheprw Institute
info@kheprw.org

Southern (Southwest and Southeast)
DeAnthony Jamerson or Mia Brown
South Region Cohort
southeastregionpartners@gmail.com

track 2 regional map

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact

Track 1

Legita Wilson
Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Commodities Program Manager
lwilson2@health.in.gov

Isis Eynon
Gleaners Community Food Bank
Fresh Connect Supply Chain & Business Development Manager
ieynon@gleaners.org

Track 2

Naima Gardner-Rice
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA)
SNAP-Ed and Nutrition Programs Director
ngardner1@health.in.gov

Denise Jamerson
Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA)
Program Manager
djamerson@health.in.gov