The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reminding buyers and sellers of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables subject to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) of the actions that must be taken for a seller to preserve their PACA trust rights in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or electronic invoicing (collectively, “EDI”) systems.

Buyers of commodities subject to the PACA must provide a means for sellers to preserve their PACA trust rights for transactions made in EDI systems.

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will partner with the three Feeding America affiliated food banks that together service all 82 counties in the state of Mississippi. MDAC will subcontract with each of the Food Banks to procure locally produced food, including foods purchased from socially disadvantaged farmers, and distribute the food to identified underserved communities through their networks of existing and new agency partners created as a result of the project.

Publications & Resources

Background & Overview

Shared kitchens are a relatively recent business development strategy that communities have adopted to enable diverse local food businesses to produce, store, and sell their products through a wide range of channels. In essence, this emerging sector of the food system provides a valuable resource to communities who seek to address potential barriers to business development, including access to facilities and capital.

Overview

Background & Overview

Background & Overview

Under a cooperative agreement between USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation, the National Farm to Institution Metrics Collaborative, which consists of farm to institution leaders from across the United States, developed a suite of farm impact metrics designed to standardize the reporting of local food purchases by institutions.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to create a Cattle Contracts Library Pilot Program (library) to increase market transparency for cattle producers. AMS hosted a listening session in April 2022 to begin the process of gathering feedback from stakeholders. Feedback gleaned from this meeting and over the subsequent months has informed the development of the pilot library, including comments related to content, frequency of reporting, and usability.

The Colorado Department of Education School Nutrition Unit is requesting Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program funding to support Colorado's local food system by sub awarding funds for the purchase of local food for School Food Authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state of Colorado. Participating school districts will use funds to purchase food that is grown, raised, produced, aggregated, stored, and distributed within Colorado or 400 miles from production to destination.

Applications will be accepted beginning August 7, 2023 for seasonal Instrument Mechanic Helper (High Volume Instrument Technician, WG-3359-5, $19.47 per hour). Completed applications may be delivered to the Florence Classing Office at 1725 Otis Way, Florence, SC 29501, or emailed to FlorenceCO@usda.gov. Selected individuals will be trained to repair and calibrate HVI machines. HVI Technicians must pass the 80 hour Cotton Program HVI Technical School. Current USDA employees will be promoted to WG-5 after successful completion of HVI Technical School.