Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) will work with subgrantee and key project leader Oregon Food Bank (OFB) to improve supply chain resiliency by building partnerships with local and regional producers, laying out pathways for alternative distribution channels to combat hunger. In the first round of LFPA funding, OFB leveraged its strong statewide connections to food hubs, community partners and partner agencies in order to provide cooperative agreement funds to growers, ranchers, seafood harvesters, food distribution organizations, and processors who will then distribute product to their local and regional communities.
The interest to OFB for this program far surpassed expectations, with nearly 100 applications for 40 available contracts, nearly all of which were from producers who are socially disadvantaged, small or beginning, located in rural areas, and those who intend to supply food to communities not typically served through traditional food distribution networks. With additional funding available through LFPA Plus, ODHS and OFB would like to extend the number of producers receiving contracts to reach a wider range of communities and continue building towards a more equitable, sustainable food system in Oregon.
These agreements are an opportunity to provide food access outreach in multiple languages and through the most relevant and accessible channels for local communities. Through this program, ODHS and OFB will 1) Increase the number of socially disadvantaged farmers supplying food to underserved communities; 2) Identify non-TEFAP distribution channels to serve underserved communities; and 3) increased connectivity between growers through peer-to-peer sharing.