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, April 21, 2021 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking comments on a Department-wide effort to improve and reimagine the supply chains for the production, processing and distribution of agricultural commodities and food products. USDA is taking this action in response to Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains, signed by President Biden on Feb. 24, 2021. The request for comments is published today in the Federal Register and the comment period will close on May 21, 2021.

The comments received will help USDA assess the critical factors, risks, and strategies needed to support resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains and ensure U.S. economic prosperity, national security, and nutrition security for all Americans. Such supply chains are needed to address conditions that can reduce critical processing and infrastructure capacity and the availability and integrity of critical goods, products, and services. Identifying food system supply chain-bottlenecks and vulnerabilities also may provide valuable insights into the competitive and fair markets landscape, effects on local and regional producers and processors, and equitable access to food and economic opportunity across diverse communities. USDA will use the comments to prepare a report required by Executive Order 14017.

“We have an opportunity to take the lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and apply those to transforming our nation’s food system from the inside out, including our supply chains,” said Vilsack. “USDA plans to tackle this supply chain assessment holistically – looking across a full range of risks and opportunities. From elevating the importance of local and regional food systems, to addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged and small to mid-size producers, to supporting sustainable practices to advance resilience and competitiveness, this top to bottom assessment will position USDA to make long-term, transformative changes for economic, national, and nutritional security.”

In addition to asking about the agricultural supply chain, USDA is interested in comments about how to target pandemic-related stimulus relief programs and spending authorized by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) toward long term, systemic change that results in food supply chain resiliency. In particular, the request for comment seeks input on—

• bolstering local and regional food systems,
• developing new market opportunities (including for value-added agriculture and products),
• creating fairer and more competitive markets,
• meeting the needs of the agricultural workforce,
• supporting and promoting consumers’ nutrition security, particularly for low-income populations,
• addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged and small to mid-sized producers, and
• advancing efforts in other ways to transform the food system.

USDA is undertaking this effort to strengthen U.S. competitiveness with attention to our farmers, ranchers, producers, food processors, and other important links in the food supply chain. Under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, USDA is helping to accelerate a transformation of our food system. Goals of this transformation include a fairer, more competitive, and transparent system where a greater share of the food dollar goes to those growing, harvesting, and preparing our food and one that promotes and strengthens the overall health and well-being of people, our land and water, and our economy. Growing consolidation in food and agriculture, the general health of our population, a growing climate crisis, and the need to ensure racial justice and equity are important factors to take into consideration as USDA looks at strengthening food and agricultural supply chains.

The deadline for comments is May 21, 2021. More information about how to submit comments in is available in the Notice.

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, ensuring access to 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.

## 

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

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2021 — The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis is bigger than any other we've seen in our lifetimes — while the pandemic has forced the U.S. economy into crisis, millions of Americans are struggling with food insecurity, unemployment, and falling behind on housing payments. Hunger has increased throughout the pandemic, with as many as 30 million adults and 12 million children living in a household where they may not always get enough to eat.

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding disparities in food insecurity. Black and Latino adults are more than twice as likely as white adults to report that their households did not get enough to eat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Biden-Harris administration are committed to ensuring that all struggling families can get the nutritious food they need.

Supporting Struggling Families through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

In good times and tough times, USDA's nutrition assistance programs are among the most far-reaching, powerful tools available to ensure that all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background, have access to healthy, affordable food. USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income Americans with access to healthy groceries. Approximately 43 million Americans rely on this program to feed themselves and their families. USDA and the Biden-Harris administration are working to strengthen this vital program by:

• Increasing SNAP benefits by 15%. Investments in nutrition assistance can have a powerful stimulative impact. A recent USDA study found that in a slow economy, one billion dollars in additional SNAP benefits would lead to an increase of $1.54 billion in the gross domestic product. In December, Congress provided a 15% increase in SNAP benefits from January through June 2021, which is providing about $28 per person per month to families in need. Of the over $7.0 billion investment, two-thirds is going to families with children, and nearly 40% is supporting the poorest households, with incomes less than half of the federal poverty level. As part of the American Rescue Plan, President Biden called on Congress to extend the increase in SNAP benefits through September. Extending this policy will helps thousands of people in need in each state, while providing millions of additional dollars to buy food in local communities.
  • Benefits by State(PDF, 269 KB)
• Increasing access to online purchasing: Online grocery shopping has become a vital resources of increasing food Access, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, and in support of social distancing guidance, USDA redoubled its efforts to expand the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot beyond the original eight states. Currently, more than 1.5 million households in 46 states and D.C are using their SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online through participating retailers. Through the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris administration supports an increased investment in technology to modernize electronic benefit transfer (EBT), support retailers, including farmers markets and direct-marketing farmers, and increase access to online purchasing for SNAP participants.
  • SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot States and Retailers

• Supporting states with additional administrative funding: Our state and local partners are on the front lines of providing nutrition assistance to struggling families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Throughout this pandemic, USDA has made full use of our authorities to support governors and state agencies administering our programs to ensure that benefits get to the kids and families that need it most. As part of the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris administration supports providing an increase in SNAP administrative funds, without requiring states to match those funds, for fiscal years 2021 through 2023.
• Reducing inequalities in SNAP emergency benefits. Through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Congress authorized emergency increases to SNAP benefits to address the increase in hunger due to the pandemic. While this has provided about $29 billion in additional benefits for struggling Americans since the start of the pandemic, we are deeply concerned that approximately 20 million people in the lowest income households – who have the least ability to absorb the economic shocks brought about by COVID – have received no or very little emergency benefit increases provided by Congress last spring. About 40% of these households have children and 20% include someone who is elderly and 15% include someone who is disabled. USDA is working with the Department of Justice to review our legal authority to increase SNAP emergency allotments for those who need it most.
• Ensuring SNAP benefits support a healthy diet. Even before COVID, millions of Americans who rely on SNAP were struggling to buy and prepare healthy food with a benefit amount based on an outdated Thrifty Food Plan. As we look to find ways to strengthen our nutrition programs for the future, USDA has begun the process of updating the Thrifty Food Plan to better reflect the true cost of a healthy basic diet today.

Increasing Support to U.S. Territories

American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico receive a block grant in lieu of participation in SNAP. In December, Congress provided an additional $614 million to address increasing needs for nutrition assistance in these territories. President Biden called on Congress to provide these U.S. territories with an additional $1 billion in funding to support families hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing Childhood Hunger Which Has Been Exacerbated by School Closures

Prior to the pandemic, nearly 22 million students relied on free or reduced-price school meals to get the nutrition they need to grow and learn. When schools closed in March 2020, school nutrition professionals across the country worked tirelessly to make sure these children had access to meals despite unprecedented challenges. USDA is working with our state partners to address these challenges by:

• Supporting schools with waivers and flexibilities to make school meals safe and accessible. In light of the unique circumstances, USDA is currently allowing schools to serve free meals to all students in need, waiving requirements that students are served in group settings at traditional mealtimes, and allowing parents and guardians to pick up meals. USDA, through new authority from Congress, is also offering additional administrative funds to states to support local program operators who are experiencing increased costs due to the public health emergency.
• Strengthening the Pandemic EBT program. Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, USDA launched the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (Pandemic-EBT) program that provides food dollars to low-income families with kids, to replace the value of school meals missed when schools are closed. Under President Biden's leadership, USDA has increased the daily benefit amount by about 16 percent, providing a family with three children up to $50 per month in additional benefits.

  Further, USDA has made it easier for states to establish a Pandemic-EBT program for this school year by issuing new P-EBT guidance to help states leverage their available data and resources to best serve children and families. Through improved guidance and extensive, one-on-one technical assistance, USDA is speeding up the process for state approvals. As of today, USDA has approved P-EBT plans for 22 states and territories this school year, which will provide over $10.0 billion to over 11.4 million children.

  The Biden-Harris Administration is calling for additional support for this vital program through the American Rescue Plan which would extend Pandemic-EBT beyond September until the end of the pandemic, provide Pandemic-EBT benefits to families during the summer months in addition to the school year, and include children under 6 from the territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Investing in the Health of New Moms and Young Children

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, more commonly known as WIC, provides tailored nutrition assistance and breastfeeding support to new moms, infants and children for their first five years of life. Strengthening WIC, and introducing more eligible families to its benefits and services, has proven to drive better health for infants and support more nutritious diets and better health care for children, all while producing higher academic achievement for students.

Unfortunately, the share of eligible families participating in WIC has declined over the past decade; about half of eligible low-income individuals weren't enrolled in 2017. The number of WIC participants continued falling at the end of 2019, and while it rebounded in some areas during the pandemic, it remained lower than the previous year even as the number of children living in households facing food hardship increased dramatically.

We believe that connecting more eligible women and young children to WIC is one of the tools to reduce stark racial disparities in maternal and child health. As part of the American Rescue Plan, President Biden has called on Congress to make a significant investment in WIC, and supports the current plan which includes:

• Reaching eligible mothers and children. USDA wants to undertake a robust national outreach campaign to ensure that eligible families know about WIC's benefits and offer new easy ways for them to enroll.
• Supporting Innovation in WIC. USDA will support projects, through waivers and demonstration projects, to improve service delivery and increase participation and utilization of benefits.
• Increasing access to fruits and vegetables. The WIC Cash Value Voucher allows WIC participants to purchase fruits and vegetables at grocery stores and farmers markets. The administration supports a temporary increase in the amount provided for each participant, from the current amount ($9 for children and $11 for women) to $35 per person, per month.

Supporting Homeless Young Adults and Struggling Students

To provide additional support for individuals over 18 who are not usually eligible for USDA's child nutrition programs, USDA is working to:

• Provide support for struggling college students. In December, Congress provided USDA with the flexibility to extend SNAP benefits to college students who would otherwise be ineligible if they are eligible to participate in work study programs or have an expected family contribution of zero in the current academic year. USDA is working with the Department of Education to inform students, as well as their colleges and universities, of this expanded eligibility.
• Feed young adults through emergency shelters. As part of the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris administration supports allowing individuals under 25 experiencing homelessness to receive meals through emergency shelters participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Supporting Food Banks

Food banks are one of USDA's most important partners in responding to the rise in food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA is committed to doing much more to support our non-profit food bank network throughout the pandemic, and ensure that they have the resources to meet the growing demand for food assistance. Across all of our nutrition assistance programs, USDA is looking for ways to remove barriers and make it easier for qualified applicants to receive assistance through programs like SNAP, WIC and P-EBT, which should ease the demand currently shouldered by our food bank partners. To further support the states and food banks that make up the network for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), USDA is:

• Enhancing support for food purchases. Using funding provided by Congress, USDA has supported states with an additional $1.25 billion in funding to purchase foods through the Agricultural Research Service.
• Multiplying administrative support. To enable food banks to receive, store, and distribute the large increases of foods received by USDA, states have received a threefold increase in administrative support, $293 million, which can be utilized to support critical operational needs such as storage, transportation, and staffing.
• Boosting “bonus” buys. Each year, USDA makes food purchases that support agricultural markets while providing supplemental foods to those in need. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly $700 million in bonus foods have been delivered to TEFAP distribution sites.

Hungry Families Cannot Afford to Wait

USDA is moving quickly to deploy the emergency resources and new flexibilities Congress has provided in the end of year COVID relief package. We recognize that recovery from the pandemic will take time, effort, and great perseverance from all of us. We will stay focused each day on this critical mission because hungry families cannot afford to wait. USDA stands ready to work with Congress to deliver to American communities the urgent support and relief they need.

#

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

WASHINGTON, DC, March 2, 2015 – In a speech at the 2015 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference today about the extent of childhood hunger in America and the impact of USDA programs on reducing food insecurity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed help end childhood hunger. The announcement was part of USDA efforts during National Nutrition Month to focus on poverty and food insecurity among children, especially in rural areas. These projects will be tested in Kentucky, Nevada, and Virginia, as well as the Chickasaw and Navajo tribal nations.

"Too many children in America live in households that don't always know where their next meal is coming from. Many families are forced to buy cheaper, less healthy foods because they don't have resources to purchase healthier options, or don't live close to a store that sells healthy food," Secretary Vilsack said. "At USDA, we're deeply committed to ensuring that all Americans, especially children, have access to a healthy diet whether at home or at school. The goal of ending child hunger in America is absolutely achievable, and this new initiative will help us test innovated strategies for getting there."

In the United States, approximately 15.8 million children live in families that have had to worry about access to food, and many of those children live in rural communities. The projects announced today are designed to test innovative strategies to end childhood hunger, including alternative models for service delivery and benefit levels that promote the reduction or elimination of childhood hunger and food insecurity. An independent evaluation will accompany this project to measure impact and identify successful strategies. The projects will be evaluated primarily based on their ability to reduce food insecurity among children.

Made possible by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), the projects target areas or populations with elevated levels of food insecurity or gaps in nutrition assistance program coverage. HHFKA requires that at least one project be carried out on an Indian reservation in a rural area with a service population having a prevalence of diabetes that exceeds 15 percent. Projects chosen include:

• Chickasaw Nation: The Chickasaw Nation will implement the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services Demonstration Project to End Childhood Hunger, which will provide food through home delivery to households with children who qualify for free school meals. Grant amount: $9.7 million.
• Kentucky: The Commonwealth of Kentucky will implement the Ticket to Healthy Food Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Demonstration, which will test the impact of providing households with children an additional transportation deduction that may increase their SNAP benefits. The project will serve the Kentucky Highlands area in the southeastern part of the state – a designated Promise Zone. Grant amount: $3.6 million.
• Navajo Nation: The Navajo Nation Division of Health will implement the Food Access Navigation Project, which will employ Food Access Navigators to evaluate assets and gaps in food access in selected regions of the reservation and provide technical assistance for connecting eligible households to nutrition assistance programs. Grant amount: $2.4 million.
• Nevada: The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health will implement the Nevada SNAP Enhancement Demonstration Project to test the relative impacts on SNAP households with children of (1) an increase in SNAP benefits, and (2) a SNAP increase plus additional outreach, education, and case management. Grant amount: $3.1 million.
• Virginia: The Virginia Department of Education will implement the Virginia Hunger-Free Kids Act Demonstration Project, which will test the impact of providing (1) three school meals a day to all children in select schools during the school year, (2) food for weekends and school breaks, and (3) more resources for low-income households to purchase food during the summer months. Grant amount: $8.8 million.

Four of these projects are based in states receiving targeted USDA assistance to address chronic rural poverty through the Department's StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity. USDA's StrikeForce Initiative is operational in 770 persistent poverty counties, parishes, boroughs, Colonias and tribal reservations in twenty states.

USDA's 15 nutrition assistance programs help struggling families gain access to healthy, nutritious food. Throughout the month of March, which is National Nutrition Month, USDA will highlight the impact of these programs on the 1 in 4 Americans that rely on these vital programs for the nutrition they need.

Healthier people go to the doctor less and have fewer medical expenses, miss fewer days of school and work, are able to join our military to defend our nation, and are more successful in the long run. USDA is focused on improving childhood nutrition and empowering families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food.

This program also supports the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative by helping to ensure tribal youth have access to healthy food - a challenge on reservations that often do not have access to a grocery or other healthy alternative except through USDA nutrition programs.

Collectively these policies and actions are helping to combat childhood hunger and obesity, while improving the health and nutrition of the nation's children. In addition to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs that provide free and reduced priced meals to 21.6 million low-income children each day, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.

Washington, DC, October 20, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today invited states to develop and test alternative methods of providing food for low-income children in urban and rural areas during the summer. USDA is requesting applications to enhance the current Summer Food Service Program by testing and evaluating home delivery and food backpack programs designed to reduce hunger among children when school is out.

"USDA remains committed to cultivating innovative practices to prevent hunger among children in the summer months," said Vilsack. "These important demonstration projects will help ensure children receive the nutrition they need throughout the entire year."

One of the most important tools that state and federal governments have to address child nutrition when schools have closed is the SFSP, which serves millions of low-income children during summer months. In the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act, Congress provided $85 million to demonstrate improved approaches to summer feeding for low-income children, and to assess their influence on food insecurity among children.

Selected states will be given funds to conduct demonstrations using food backpacks to provide meals for eligible children on days SFSP meals are not available and to develop strategies to deliver meals to eligible children in rural areas at a sustainable cost. The home delivery and food backpacks enhancements are intended to increase SFSP participation and improve food security among children when school is out.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2010 and may be submitted by hand delivery, mail, or electronically using the federal grants website, www.grants.gov. Additional information about the demonstrations and the application materials may also be found on the Food and Nutrition website.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the Summer Food Service Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the National School Lunch Program, WIC, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Together these programs make up the federal nutrition safety net. USDA administers these programs in partnership with state and local agencies and works with faith- and community-based organizations to ensure that nutrition assistance is available to those in need. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for additional information about the Summer Food Service Program.