What is it: A recent announcement by the USDA will allow food banks like
Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio to continue to purchase and distribute local food in the community and help support regional growers.
On Oct. 1, the USDA announced $1 billion toward a national investment in initiatives that respond to the needs of people facing hunger and invest in local food supply chains and farmers, according to a press release from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
The USDA will allocate $500 million nationally for additional food purchases for emergency food providers through the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which will “be critical to supplementing the continued support that food banks receive from retailers and manufacturers, generous local donors, farmers and food producers, and our partners at the State of Ohio,” according to the release.
Additionally, the USDA will invest $500 million nationally for the continuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program. This program, known locally as Ohio CAN (Community + Agriculture + Nutrition), has connected 180 farmers, growers, and producers and Ohio’s statewide and regional food hubs with opportunities to maintain and scale their distribution channels, while directing nourishing, culturally responsive foods to Ohioans facing hunger, according to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks press release.
Some of the local farms that participate in the local food purchase assistance program (LFPA) are
Wayward Seed,
Turnow Ventures, and
Shared Legacy, notes Emily Faust, external communications & development coordinator for Second Harvest, via a recent interview.
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Register for the community roundtable via the QR code.Why is it important: During the last fiscal year, this type of funding allowed Second Harvest to purchase 358,570 pounds of food for its neighbors. This purchase, in turn, “strengthens the local food system by creating stability for our agricultural partners,” according to Faust.
“This funding is critical to our agricultural partners and will allow them to plan with confidence for their next growing season,” Faust notes in the email. “We are very grateful for this continued support to our communities.”
The number of people visiting local food pantries across Ohio has surged, reflecting a growing and urgent need for support in communities. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks served 35% more children, 39% more adults, and 58% more older adults in 2023 than in 2019, according to the OAF press release.
In Erie County alone, 11,107 unique families and 29,823 unique individuals were served via the Second Harvest Partner Network from July 2023-June 2024. Of those numbers, 31% of individuals served were children, while 17% were senior citizens. There were 98, 117 total pantry visits and 2,622,797 pounds of food distributed, according to information provided by Second Harvest.
How to get involved: Second Harvest will host its second Erie County Community Roundtable Oct. 16 to discuss, according to Faust, “how we can raise our voices to create change in our communities.”
Second Harvest suggests attending if you or someone you know is or has been affected by food insecurity; you are interested in improving your community and increasing economic development; you are interested in exploring opportunities in the local food system.
The roundtable will take place from 5-7 p.m. (dinner provided) Oct. 16 at Huron Public Library, 333 Williams St., Huron. Registration is highly encouraged to help organizers plan accordingly. Registration can be done via the embedded QR code or
In Your Neighborhood link.