The 2018 Farm Bill authorized USDA to establish a demonstration project for one or more tribal organizations administering the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) to enter into self-determination contracts as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, to purchase USDA Foods for the FDPIR food package for their tribe.

Under normal program operations, all USDA Foods provided in the FDPIR food package are purchased and provided by USDA. Through this demonstration project, participating tribes are able to:

• select one or more foods that they would like to procure for inclusion in the food package,
• identify the food(s) in the food package that they would like to supplant with the tribally procured food(s),
• establish contract(s) with a vendor(s) to procure the selected food(s), and
• distribute the tribally procured food(s) alongside other USDA-provided foods in the FDPIR food packages distributed to their tribal members.

There are a few requirements associated with the tribally procured foods, including that they are domestically sourced and that they are of similar or higher nutritional value as the food(s) being replaced.

The demonstration project:

• supports tribal self-governance by allowing participating tribes to purchase similar foods of their choosing, supporting tribal dietary preferences;
• allows tribes to purchase foods through commercial vendors of their choice;
• supports tribal economies as tribes may choose to contract with local, regional, and/or tribal vendors; and
• provides FNS with an opportunity to see how tribal procurement may work under a food distribution program model across region, program size, and food selection.

The map below highlights tribes currently participating in the demonstration project:

Round 2 Projects

USDA awarded $4.4 million dollars to tribal nations participating in round 2 of the demonstration project. Project implementation began in August 2023 with some contracts expected to last up to three years, through 2026. More information on each tribe's project is outlined below.

Cherokee Nation

Tribally Procured Foods	beef chuck roast, ground beef chubs
USDA Supplanted Foods	beef chuck roast, ground beef chubs
Vendors	1839 Cherokee Meat Company (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	36 months

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Tribally Procured Foods	ground beef, beef chuck roast, celery, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, squash, cucumber, honey dew melon, peaches, oranges, apples, cherries, apricots, eggs
USDA Supplanted Foods	ground beef, beef chuck roast, celery, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, peaches, Crenshaw melon, apples, cherries, apricots, eggs
Vendors	Hines Meat Company, Yakama Nation Farms (Native vendor), Rez Chicks Fresh Eggs Cooperative (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	36 months

Gila River Indian Community

Tribally Procured Foods	tepary beans
USDA Supplanted Foods	dry beans
Vendors	Ramona Farms (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	14 months

Quinault Indian Nation

Tribally Procured Foods	canned albacore tuna, canned Coho salmon, canned King salmon, King salmon fillet, razor clams, ling cod, rock fish
USDA Supplanted Foods	chunk light tuna, canned chicken, canned beef, frozen salmon, bison, walleye, whole frozen chicken, catfish
Vendors	Quinault Pride Seafood (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	36 months

Sokaogon Chippewa Community

Tribally Procured Foods	wild rice, carrots, cauliflower, pickling and slicing cucumbers, sweet corn, roma and slicing tomatoes, zucchini, bison burger, ground beef, pork chops, chicken breast
USDA Supplanted Foods	wild rice, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, bison burger, ground beef, pork chops, chicken breast
Vendors	Forest County Potawatomi's Bodewewadmi Ktegan Farm (Native vendor), Carson Ackley, Wild Rice Harvester (Native vendor), James Polar, Sr., Wild Rice Harvester (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	36 months

Spirit Lake Tribe

Tribally Procured Foods	bison
USDA Supplanted Foods	bison
Vendors	North American Bison, LLC
Distribution Months	36 months

Beginning Oct. 2023, Spirit Lake Tribe will be offering a variety of tribally procured bison products to their participants as part of their FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project. The products include: bison dogs, bison ribeye, bison sirloin steak tips, and bison burgers.

Tohono O'odham Nation

Tribally Procured Foods	soft wheat berries (various), hard wheat berries, wheat flour (various), white tepary beans, brown tepary beans, garbanzo beans
USDA Supplanted Foods	dehydrated potatoes, cherry apple juice, corn flakes cereal, all-purpose flour, egg noodles, canned pinto beans, dry pinto beans, cream of chicken soup
Vendors	Ramona Farms (Native vendor), San Xavier Cooperative Farm (Native vendor)
Distribution Months	36 months

White Mountain Apache Tribe

Tribally Procured Foods	barbecue corn, corn, summer squash, patty pan squash, green chilies, blue corn meal, ground beef, tongue, intestines, steak, liver, sweet bread, walnuts, acorns, pine nuts
USDA Supplanted Foods	canned corn, fresh corn, squash, canned carrots, jalapenos, yellow corn meal, ground beef, bison, chicken, roast beef, canned chicken, canned beef, peanuts, peanut butter, and fruit and nut mix
Vendors	Ndee Bikiyaa Farm (Native vendor), SPO Land and Cattle Co.
Distribution Months	36 months

Round 1 Projects

USDA has awarded $5.7 million dollars to tribal nations participating in round 1 of the demonstration project. Project implementation began in October 2021 with some contracts expected to last up to three years, through 2024. More information on each tribe's project is outlined below.

Oneida Nation and Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (joint project)

Tribally Procured Foods	ground beef, bison, beef roast, apples, white fish/lake trout, wild rice, walleye
USDA Supplanted Foods	ground beef, bison, beef roast, apples, catfish/salmon, wild rice, walleye
Vendors	Oneida Nation Farm, Oneida Nation Apple Orchard, Red Cliff Fish Company, and Spirit Lake Native Farms
Distribution Months	6 - 24 months

A video showcasing the Oneida Nation - Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, self-determination demonstration project, and the many benefits the project is bringing to tribal members. Video production credit: The Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium (SGCETC).

Wild rice from Spirit Lake Native Farms. The Oneida Nation and Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin are partnering on a joint self-determination demonstration project that will provide tribally procured ground beef, bison, beef roast, white fish, lake trout, apples, and wild rice to their FDPIR participants.

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB)

Tribally Procured Foods	all fresh produce, walleye
USDA Supplanted Foods	all fresh produce, walleye
Vendors	Red Lake Nation Fishery
Distribution Months	24 months

Jake Robinson (right), General Manager of Red Lake Nation Fishery, delivers walleye fillets to Joe Van Alstine (left), FDPIR Program Director for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Red Lake Nation Fishery is located in Redby, Minnesota, and is owned and operated by Red Lake Nation.

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Tribally Procured Foods	frozen white fish, carrots, potatoes of various colors, cucumbers, romaine/butterhead/green leaf lettuce, frozen squash, apples, fresh and frozen blueberries, wild rice, tomatoes, onions, summer squash, radishes, cherry tomatoes, winter squash, salad mix, smoked fish
USDA Supplanted Foods	salmon, carrots, red potatoes, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, canned vegetables, apples, frozen blueberries, wild rice, tomatoes, onions, summer squash, radishes, cherry tomatoes, winter squash, canned fish
Vendors	Dynamite Hill Farms, Highland Hill Farms, Red Cliff Fish Company, and Mino Bimaadiziiwin Tribal Farm
Distribution Months	31 months
Program Contact	Vincent "Butch" Bresette Butch.bresette@redcliff-nsn.gov (715) 779-3740

The Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm, which is owned and operated by The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, provides fresh produce to FDPIR participants through the demonstration project. Produce items provided by the farm for the project include everything from carrots and squash to lettuce and salad mix.

The Red Cliff Fish Company is located within the Red Cliff Reservation, which spans 22 miles of Lake Superior shoreline in northern Wisconsin. Through the FDPIR self-determination demonstration project, Red Cliff Fish Company will provide fish products to FDPIR participants in The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Oneida Nation, and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

Check out the project photo gallery. 

Chickasaw Nation

Tribally Procured Foods	ground beef, roast beef, dry hominy, stew meat, pecans
USDA Supplanted Foods	ground beef, roast beef, wild rice, canned beef, peanuts
Vendors	Rolland Ranch Beef, Guderian Foods, and Bryant Pecan Company
Distribution Months	24 - 33 months

Ground beef from Rolland Ranch Beef, LLC. The Chickasaw Nation is utilizing FDPIR self-determination contract funding to purchase both ground beef and roast beef from Rolland Ranch Beef, LLC., a tribally-owned and family-operated ranch in Checotah, Oklahoma.

Beef products from a local tribal producer at a Chickasaw Nation food distribution warehouse. Through the demonstration project, Chickasaw Nation is purchasing a variety of tribally-produced foods for the FDPIR food packages distributed to their tribal members. These products include ground beef, roast beef, dry hominy, stew meat, and pecans.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)

Tribally Procured Foods	Alaskan halibut, cod, Alaska grown potato
USDA Supplanted Foods	catfish, walleye, russet potato
Vendors	Kodiak Island WildSource and Knik Tribe
Distribution Months	14 - 28 months
Project Contact	Dana Diehl ANTHC Director, Wellness and Prevention info.fdpir@anthc.org (907) 729-2440

The Alaska Native Health Consortium, known as ANTHC, operates a FDPIR self-determination demonstration project that provides foods to 18 tribes across Alaska. Learn more about the ANTHC project in this video.

Healthy potato plants growing at the Knik Tribe farm near Palmer, Alaska. Beginning in fall/winter 2022, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium will purchase potatoes from the farm with FDPIR self-determination contract funds.

Gregory Nothstine (center), FDPIR Program Director for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), and Mike Reusser (left) and Jim Baldwin (right) of the Food Bank of Alaska (FBA), receive a first shipment of Alaskan halibut at the FBA warehouse in Anchorage, Alaska. ANTHC purchases the fish with self-determination contract funds and then works with FBA to ship the product (along with other FDPIR foods) to 21 tribal villages throughout the state.

Barbara Lopez (FNS Senior Technical Advisor for Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs), Gregory Nothstine (FDPIR Program Director for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)), and Dana Diehl (Director of the Wellness and Prevention Department at ANTHC), in front of the Kodiak Harbor in Kodiak, Alaska. Fresh Alaskan cod and halibut for the demonstration project are fished out of the harbor and processed by Kodiak Island Wildsource, a business owned and operated by the Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak, before being shipped to FDPIR participants across Alaska.

Lummi Nation

Tribally Procured Foods	salmon, halibut, prawns/shrimp, crab
USDA Supplanted Foods	catfish, walleye
Vendors	Nexwelhqeyem Seafood, LLC and Finkbonner Shellfish
Distribution Months	six months or more

Lummi Nation Commodity Foods staff proudly display frozen sockeye salmon fillets purchased with FDPIR self-determination contract funds. Lummi Nation manages several treaty-reserved fisheries off the Washington coast and will be providing a variety of local seafood items to FDPIR participants through the demonstration project.

Check out the project photo gallery!

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI)

Tribally Procured Foods	turnip greens, collard greens, yellow squash, red/green tomatoes, tomato berries, bell peppers, hot/sweet peppers, cucumbers
USDA Supplanted Foods	romaine lettuce, summer squash, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green pepper, cucumbers
Vendors	Choctaw Fresh Produce
Distribution Months	36 months

An employee of Choctaw Fresh shows off some fresh collard greens that will be put into FDPIR food packages for eligible tribal members. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is purchasing a variety of fresh vegetables from the Choctaw Fresh Farm, an organic produce farm located on the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation.

Collard green seedlings waiting to be planted in a high tunnel. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is purchasing turnip greens, collard greens, yellow squash, tomatoes, tomato berries, bell peppers, cucumbers, and a variety of hot and sweet peppers, for FDPIR participants through the FDPIR self-determination demonstration project.

Demonstration Project Resources

• Federal Register Documents
• Resources (webinars/FAQs)
• USDA Communications (press releases/blogs)
• FDPIR Sharing Gallery
• USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2023 – USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service today recognized significant progress made across the nation’s nutrition assistance programs and broader nutrition security efforts during the Biden-Harris administration’s second year in office. As President Biden prepares for the 2023 State of the Union address, he will reflect on last year’s progress and forge ahead in the fight against hunger and increase access to nutritious foods for all Americans by supporting vital FNS programs that assist families in navigating the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, such as high food costs and supply shortages.

“The Food and Nutrition Service, alongside our devoted partners at the state, local, tribal, and territorial level, worked hard last year to lift up families through strengthened food programs,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “In 2022, FNS provided additional resources to WIC and school meal programs, as well as food banks, in an effort to meet the needs of the millions of Americans who use our programs. Additionally, we expanded online shopping for SNAP participants, equipped schools with upgraded tools, and boosted local agriculture.”

Highlights include:

Prioritizing nutrition security for all
In March 2022, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA Actions on Nutrition Security, which summarized how USDA and, in particular, FNS is working to advance nutrition security. These efforts align with the goals in the Biden-Harris administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released for the September 2022 historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. FNS also issued a report highlighting the agency’s role in contributing to those goals by emphasizing the connection between food insecurity and diet-related diseases and prioritizing equitable access to healthy, affordable food.

In October, the agency hosted Come to the Table: USDA’s National Nutrition Security and Healthcare Summit, bringing together healthcare, federal and community leaders with a shared goal of ensuring all Americans have access to nutritious foods that support good health. In January, FNS participated in the first of seven regional summits to further those efforts.

Improving access through program modernization
FNS is committed to modernizing its nutrition assistance programs to best meet the needs of today’s participants and provide them with an improved customer experience. In 2022, FNS continued to expand SNAP online shopping, giving millions of families the opportunity to shop from home like many non-SNAP customers have been doing for years. As of December 2022, 181 retailers – representing thousands of actual stores – were participating. However, recognizing some retailers, especially smaller ones, still face technical challenges implementing online shopping, FNS awarded a $5 million grant to help these businesses get up and running.

Similarly, FNS made major investments in modernizing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, including awarding more than $50 million in grants designed to better reach more eligible families, reduce disparities in program delivery, and provide a convenient and equitable experience for all.

Ensuring babies and kids have access to the nutrition they need
FNS is committed to promoting nutrition security for children, starting them on the path to a healthy, thriving future. For summer 2022, FNS worked closely with 52 states and territories to continue providing Pandemic-EBT benefits to kids in low-income households to help cover the costs of meals they would otherwise receive at school or in child care.

FNS also announced the Healthy Meals Incentives initiative, a $100 million investment to recognize schools providing exceptionally nutritious meals, support small and rural schools in meeting nutrition standards, and partner with industry to develop healthy and tasty products for school meals. The agency also provided $80 million dollars for schools to invest in upgraded food service equipment that facilitates serving nutritious meals, as well as more than $70 million in Farm to School Grants for projects that connect kids with local agriculture. By helping schools address barriers such as staffing shortages, increased food costs, outdated kitchen equipment, and lack of physical space, this initiative will ensure that children continue to be served nutritious, fresh meals while they learn.

When the infant formula recall and related shortages strained families nationwide, FNS took immediate action. FNS worked with formula manufacturers and states to provide flexibilities that helped WIC participants get the formula they needed – and helped cover cost differences for states to make this possible. FNS also supported Operation Fly Formula to boost the infant formula supply.

Combating food inflation and strengthening food systems
FNS took many actions to help program partners and participants cope with inflation and the rising cost of food, while strengthening the nation’s food systems. FNS provided extensive financial support for the emergency food system, including nearly $1 billion for additional food purchases to help families in need. The agency also introduced a new $100 million Reach and Resiliency grant program to strengthen and expand The Emergency Food Assistance Program to ensure it reaches remote, rural, tribal and other low-income areas that face persistent poverty and inequality.

By providing a more than 25 percent increase to child nutrition program funding, FNS took action to ensure child nutrition programs could continue serving nutritious meals amid high food costs. This increase included nearly $2.5 billion to schools to purchase American-grown food and an increase to the per-meal reimbursement rate that is expected to pump an estimated $4.3 billion more into child nutrition programs nationwide.

FNS also supported two new USDA programs designed to provide additional food to food banks and schools in a way that strengthens regional food systems by purchasing locally grown food products from underserved producers and distributing it to communities in need of nutritional support.

FNS advanced several other priorities throughout 2022, including supporting workforce development in SNAP and WIC to improve employment opportunities and culturally relevant care for all families; strengthening program integrity through a system designed to prevent duplicate enrollment in SNAP; supporting tribal sovereignty through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Self-Determination Demonstration Projects; and more. FNS looks forward to continuing this momentum in collaboration with our partners, throughout the third year of the administration.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 15 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces the “USDA Tribal Consultations on Barriers/Equity: Annual Progress Report & Feedback for Next Steps.” This five-day consultation series follows up on the March 2021 consultations held in response to President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities. Tribal leaders have requested USDA affirm how staff are incorporating tribal input on barriers to effectively accessing programs. From April 11 through 18, USDA consulting officials will highlight progress made since last year’s consultation and discuss potential solutions for ongoing issues with tribal nation representatives.

“For too long, tribal nations and individuals have had barriers to USDA services and programs,” said USDA Office of Tribal Relations Director Heather Dawn Thompson. “In addition to these consultations, we are conducting a top-to-bottom review of our statutory authorities to see where we can empower tribal nations and support tribal self-determination through our programs.”

Since the first consultation on equity and barriers in March 2021, USDA agencies have implemented changes to remove barriers to service for tribal nations. Among the improvements:

• Agriculture Secretary Vilsack has directed USDA to explore opportunities expanding tribal self-determination across USDA programming. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service awarded $3.5 million to eight tribal nations for a project that, for the first time, allows them to purchase some of the foods for their tribe through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
• Tribal leaders requested USDA better recognize their sovereignty and jurisdictional authority when financing infrastructure projects. USDA’s Rural Development has required tribal resolutions of support for non-tribal applicants intending to serve tribal land and compliance with tribal law for projects within Indian Country under the ReConnect program.
• Tribal leaders called on USDA to better meet tribal treaty obligations. In collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Oklahoma State University, USDA is developing and regularly updating a tribal treaty rights database to better understand and fulfill these obligations.

Each day of the April 11-18 consultations will focus on different themes that are key priority areas for the Biden-Harris Administration. On each day, senior USDA consulting officials from each agency will listen to concerns from official representatives from among the 574 federally recognized tribal nations. Before each consultation, tribal organizations will facilitate caucuses to support tribal leaders in discussing these issues.

Economic Development
Date: Monday, April 11, 2022
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation

Food, Safety, and Trade
Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation

Farming, Ranching, and Conservation
Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation

Forests and Public Lands
Date: Friday, April 15, 2022
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation

Education and Research
Date: Monday, April 18, 2022
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Caucus
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET - Tribal Consultation

On March 10, 2022, the USDA Office of Tribal Relations distributed "Dear Tribal Leader" letters announcing these consultation sessions to Indian Country. These tribal consultations are formal, government-to-government meetings between USDA officials and tribal nations. Tribal organizations, tribal citizens, and tribal nation staff are welcome to attend. Elected tribal leaders, proxy representatives with authority to speak on behalf of a tribal nation, and USDA consulting officials have speaking roles at these events. USDA agencies and offices host consultations throughout the year to hear from tribal nations about how USDA policies and programs can be developed to better support tribal nation interests. For the latest list of consultations across the department, visit www.usda.gov/tribalrelations/tribal-consultations.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.