"The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) - a U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative started in 2021 during the pandemic - provided $1 billion annually to help food banks, schools and nonprofits nationwide purchase produce from farmers. Unlike surplus or blemished produce donated to food banks from wholesale distributors, large farms and grocery stores, the federal program provided low-income families with fresh, even organic, fruits and vegetables."
"Veggielution, an East San Jose nonprofit community farm, received $1 million in LFPA funds annually to provide 600 families with a box of produce every week. Starting in January, it will scale back to providing produce boxes to 100 families. Veggielution Executive Director Shawn Gerth is worried about the impacts this will have on East Side families the nonprofit serves."
"One resident, who asked not to be identified for privacy reasons, said the weekly box of produce kept her from worrying about her next meal. "The boxes were the best and (freshest) produce we get around the Bay," she told San José Spotlight. "As a single mom, I cannot buy organic stuff because it is expensive. That also affects our health.""
The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) provided $1 billion annually to enable food banks, schools and nonprofits to buy produce directly from farmers, starting in 2021 during the pandemic. The program supplied fresh, often organic, produce to low-income families rather than surplus or blemished donations. Veggielution, an East San Jose community farm, received $1 million yearly to deliver weekly produce boxes to 600 families but will reduce service to 100 families starting in January. The cutback removes a major revenue stream for farmers, reduces reliable access to fresh produce for families, and worsens food insecurity.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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