The USDA will purchase $400 million worth of fresh food from local and "underserved" farmers and give it to state and tribal social services agencies to distribute to needy families, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on July 27.

During a visit to the Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland, Calif., Vilsack said the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has signed a cooperative agreement with California under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.

The LFPA is a program authorized through the President’s American Rescue Plan, which invested $400 million to make food more affordable for more Americans and help stabilize agricultural supply chains. Through LFPA, the California Department of Social Services will seek to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers.

“Providing access to new markets for more producers and helping more Americans experiencing food insecurity is going to take new partnerships, new innovations, and new ways of thinking – and the best solutions can often be local,” Vilsack said. “This program provides tribes, states, and U.S. territories the ability to work in new and creative ways with their local partners, establishing connections between their producers and underserved communities.

"The food purchases made through LFPA will provide consistent access to locally and regionally sourced food, helping provide economic stability for farmers, producers, and families, and improve health outcomes through nutrition and increased food security," he added.

Related: Vilsack plans reforestation on 4 million acres

The DSS will team with the state departments of Food and Agriculture and Public Health, the California Association of Food Banks and California Food Banks to purchase food from farmers throughout the state serving approximately 250,000 families and provide outreach and education to the farms, according to a news release.

“Through this innovative program, California will be able to support local and underserved farmers while expanding access to farm-fresh foods for families in need,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We look forward to working with federal, state and local partners to strengthen the state’s food systems and support communities across California.”

Vilsack is in the midst of a four-day West Coast swing to discuss several resource-related issues. He was in Idaho July 25 and 26 and will be in Reno today, July 28, where he is expected to announce significant investments in rural broadband in Nevada and nationwide, according to his agency.

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