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

ALBUQUERQUE, NM, June 15, 2015 – While the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the annual conference of the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations today, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced close to $1 million in grants to support nutrition education programs for participants of the USDA’s Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. In total, 15 nutrition education projects serving participants in 17 states were selected through a competitive award process that was open to tribal nations and state agencies that administer FDPIR.

“USDA is committed to working with American Indian communities to create a healthy start for children, and provide the nutrition assistance that will lead to healthy lives,” Under Secretary Concannon said. “The awardees have developed creative, self-initiated projects designed to assist participants with incorporating healthy foods and physical activity as daily lifestyle habits.

This program 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. Six of the awardees are located in areas receiving additional technical assistance through USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative, and one awardee is located in a community selected for the Obama Administration’s Promise Zones Initiative.

This funding will allow American Indian tribes like the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to expand and create new projects to better their community. The Choctaw Nation’s 2015 FDPIR nutrition education grant will build on a project funded in 2014 to add a hoop house as a central location to provide gardening education. This project will encourage FDPIR participants to increase their daily intake of fruits and vegetables by conducting food demonstrations with foods that are grown and harvested as a result of hoop house activities. This is just one example of the steps that USDA is taking to provide nutrition education among FDPIR participants that can lead to healthier lifestyles.

The full list of awardees includes:

• Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
• Midwest Region Nutrition Advisory Committee, via the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
• Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Indian Reservation in New Mexico
• Wichita and Affiliated Tribes in Oklahoma
• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin
• Mountain Plains Region Nutrition Advisory Committee via the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota
• Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana
• The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana
• Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington
• Lummi Nation in Washington
• Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
• Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California

Since fiscal year 2008, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has provided up to $1 million annually in nutrition education grants for projects that benefit FDPIR participants and those eligible for FDPIR. Last month, USDA announced new funding opportunities for state agencies and tribal nations to develop innovative strategies to prevent hunger and food insecurity.

FDPIR operates as an alternative to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income American Indian and non-Indian households. Recipients either reside on a reservation, in a household located in approved areas near a reservation, or in Oklahoma where at least one person is a member of a federally recognized tribal nation. The program provides a package of USDA Foods that has been selected to enable participants to maintain a nutritionally-balanced diet that is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Currently, there are 276 American Indian tribes participating in FDPIR through 100 tribal nations and five state agencies. This program serves approximately 87,000 individuals each month.

FDPIR is one of 15 nutrition assistance programs administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service that works in conjunction with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, and the Summer Food Service Program. Together these programs make up the federal nutrition safety net.

Washington, DC, April 8, 2011 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that tribal nutrition education projects in 10 states have been selected to receive grants this year through USDA's Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The grants will help develop creative, self-initiated projects designed to enhance the nutrition knowledge and to foster positive lifestyle changes of FDPIR participants in low-income households living on Indian reservations and to American Indian households residing in approved areas near reservations or in Oklahoma. Janie Hipp, Director of USDA's Office of Tribal Relations, joined Governor Bill Anoatubby and Lt. Governor Jefferson Keel of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma to announce the grants on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"We are committed to working with Tribal nations to improve the nutrition and health on Indian Reservations and tribal lands," Vilsack said. "These projects will help support and expand nutrition education through self-initiated projects and provide better access to more fruits and vegetables so that we can make great strides in improving the nutrition and health of tribal members."

Each year, Indian Tribal Organizations and state agencies that administer the program can apply for funding to expand nutrition education efforts. USDA chose 15 applicants, located in California, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin, to receive FY 2011 funding to develop nutrition education projects that incorporate the Dietary Guidelines within the Native American culture.

Projects chosen this year for the grants, which total $1 million, include a recipe toolkit containing menus, shopping lists, and snack ideas featuring more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; summer camp programs for youth to teach healthy cooking techniques; nutrition education sessions held during scheduled food deliveries for participants in remote reservation areas; and community gardens to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. The announcement comes as First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative celebrates National Gardening Month (April).

In Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation will expand the "Recipes Wrapped in Love" project. Families will develop and test new recipes that feature whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and the recipes will be incorporated into a Recipes Wrapped in Love toolkit. The toolkits will be distributed to 5,000 FDPIR participants and include recipes, menus, shopping lists, and snack ideas. The Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana will develop and maintain a garden planted by and cared for by youth, conduct food demonstrations featuring USDA Foods, conduct canning classes for FDPIR participants, and present nutrition information at various community events.

The projects selected are:

• Sherwood Valley Food Program (Willits, Calif.), $41,182
• United Tribes of Kansas and Southeast Nebraska (White Cloud, Kan.), $2,164
• Grand Portage Reservation (Grand Portage, Minn.), $9,827
• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Cass Lake, Minn.), $39,146
• Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (Choctaw, Miss.), $44,941
• Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (St. Ignatius, Mont.), $118,429
• Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation (Box Elder, Mont.), $21,616
• Pueblo of Zuni Food Distribution Program (Zuni, N.M.), $29,225
• The Chickasaw Nation (Ada, Okla.), $109,435
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Mission, S.D.), $94,000
• Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Mountain Plains Nutrition Advisory Committee (Pine Ridge, S.D.), $75,366
• South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (Shelton, Wash.), $60,645
• Lummi Indian Business Council (Bellingham, Wash.), $119,290
• Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Indians Food Distribution Program for the Midwest Nutrition Advisory Committee (Bayfield, Wis.), $115,181
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (Keshena, Wis.) $39,194

FDPIR is among 15 nutrition assistance programs overseen by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Many households participate in the FDPIR as an alternative to the Special Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, because they do not have easy access to SNAP offices or authorized food stores. These programs touch the lives of one in four Americans each year and work together to form a national safety net against hunger.

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.