The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) will administer the grant program to oversee the purchase of domestic, local foods, while prioritizing procurements from socially disadvantaged producers. KDA will continue utilizing their partnership with Feeding Kentucky, Inc. to make direct procurements from local producers, preferencing the socially disadvantaged and paying retail prices for their highest quality foods. Foods will be distributed throughout the Commonwealth as exciting, supplemental items to their existing distributions. Additionally, KDA plans to enter into agreement(s) to conduct the same procurements, but for use in existing prepared/frozen meal programs that serve various underserved communities. Integrated into each track, KDA will use LFPA Plus to leverage unprocessed or minimally processed animal protein procurements. LFPA Plus funds will be used exclusively for unprocessed or minimally processed foods until expended in full; 2 subsequently, LFPA funds will be utilized for all remaining purchases, including processed products (allowable with LFPA funds only).
Distributions utilizing various collaboration pathways will reach low-income and underserved communities, especially with the emerging market pathways with third-party contractors. At both the statewide and less-than-statewide levels, vendors will provide a market connection to farmers and producers with an interest in commercial aggregation and distribution of their products. As a network, these partnerships will bolster a statewide food box distribution program of exclusively local, domestic products. Distributions will engage with other community organizations to distribute the boxes into KY’s neediest communities, providing widespread access to local, nutritious foods.