Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) will utilize the LFPA grant to establish new partnerships with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs) and producers throughout Idaho and the neighboring states (within 400 miles). These new SDFR partnerships will supplement gaps in donated foods by providing seasonal, fresh commodities to Idaho’s established network of food pantries, schools, and other organizations that reach underserved communities. IDHW’s goal is to increase partnerships and strengthen Idaho’s food distribution network in Idaho’s underserved communities by partnering the LFPA program with The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
To accomplish this, IDHW will establish the new LFPA program by contracting with an Idaho-based organization to procure and distribute commodities across the state, which will be referred to as the LFPA Contracted Administrator. This new program with collaborate with Idaho’s Department of Agriculture, statewide food banks, community stakeholders, and TEFAP to assess and prioritize relationships with Idaho’s SDFRs. The LFPA Contracted Administrator will enter into direct agreements with IDHW-approved SDFRs for procurement of commodities over a two-year period. Once the direct agreements are executed, the LFPA Contracted Administrator will be responsible for the ordering, coordination, and distribution of commodities to Idaho’s pantries, schools, and other organizations throughout the state.
The LFPA program will be a newly established program that will allow Idaho’s agricultural farmers and producers to supply pantries in low-income communities with a variety of fresh commodities across the state.
No more than 20% of the available funds will be used to administer the program.