More than 20 million boxes of food have been distributed through USDA?s Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which supports American farmers and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue made the announcement this week on the big milestone reached by the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Perdue said the program has continued to pick up steam, getting food in the hands of more and more Americans while providing much needed support to the Ag sector.
In a late April webinar via Zoom, USDA associate deputy director of commodity procurement Christopher Purdy said the Farmers to Families Food Box Program represented a new way of doing business for USDA.
?These times call for activities outside of our comfort zone,? Purdy said. ?Most of you are living and breathing the tough situation right now. Farmers are dumping fresh produce and milk, and they are euthanizing animals in some cases. Food service distributors are not operating at full capacity because food service demand has plummeted.?
Purdy said the program required the USDA to expand beyond its vendor base.
?We very much value our existing vendors,? Purdy said. ?They get us through thick and thin throughout the year, but we needed to purchase what?s currently available in the local marketplace. We couldn?t purchase in full truckload quantities. At the food banks and some of the non-profit organizations we?re trying to hit, storage and distribution is limited.?
Secretary Perdue says the 20 million box milestone is a testament that the program is accomplishing what USDA intended ? supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most.
The initial round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program contracts worth $1.2 billion will be completed June 30th. USDA plans to extend some well performing contractors through the next performance period, July 1st through August 31st.
Further information on the program can be found on USDA?s website.
