USDA Grant Connects Food-Insecure Individuals With Connecticut-Grown Foods

In partnership with: Connecticut Department of Agriculture

Despite being one of the wealthiest states in America, food insecurity affects approximately 400,000 Connecticut residents each year.

To address nationwide hunger, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a cooperative agreement under the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program. Through the agreement, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) received $6.725 million in 2022.

These funds are used to purchase local farm products to distribute to food-insecure individuals.

The CT DoAg awarded funds to eight entities throughout the state, including Connecticut Foodshare and New London Community Meal Center.

Participating in the program was an easy “yes” from Jason Jakubowski, president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare.

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In year one, Connecticut Foodshare received $850,000 from LFPA funds.

“We went out and recruited small local farmers,” he explains. “About 20% were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) farmers. Commissioner Hurlburt and I were supportive of the LFPA requirement to ensure BIPOC farmers had access to these government funds.”

According to Jakubowski, LFPA has provided a diverse food system in more ways than one.

“Diversity in terms of the farms and farmers is certainly one way,” he says. “If you look at diversity in terms of the wider landscape, it’s injecting a stream of food that otherwise would not be there. LFPA provides an opportunity for us to purchase locally grown food and provide it to the different pantries that we serve.”

A Partnership Built on Diversity

Fernandes Farmstead is one of approximately 150 farms benefiting from the LFPA program.

Sandy Nemet, her two sisters and their parents run the farm in Manchester, where they produce high-quality pasture-raised pork, grass-fed beef and free range chicken eggs. Through LFPA, Fernandes Farmstead partnered with the New London Community Meal Center (NLCMC) to provide culturally relevant protein products to those experiencing food insecurity.

“This program has been wonderful,” Nemet says. “It helps small upcoming farms like ours access fair and equitable prices, keeping us sustainable. In turn, we provide the community with fresh, nutritious food.”

Nemet says she can expect consistent orders from Eve Morrissey, the food access manager for NLCMC. Together, NLCMC and Fernandes Farmstead curate protein-rich food to combat food insecurity in New London.

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“In my experience, it seems that distribution centers heavily reliant on donations often had seconds and abundance of undesired foodstuffs,” Morrissey says. “LFPA allowed a tailoring to palate and culture. The program serves over 400 families through free pop-up farmstands, local pantries and the NLCMC serving approximately 250 meals daily.”

LFPA entwines with the meal center’s vision.

“We’re all working to help build a healthy and equitable food system and community for all,” Morrissey says.

The two programs – LFPA and NLCMC – exist in response to the lack of or difficulty obtaining basic human needs. Both provide access to food in a dignified and relevant manner.

“The program simultaneously supports farms supporting food insecurity, fortifying links in our broken food chain,” she says.

A Successful Program for All

“LFPA is a win-win-win,” Jakubowski says. “It’s a win for the farmers, it’s a win for us, but most importantly, it’s a win for the local pantries and the people we serve.”

The funds allow Connecticut Foodshare and DoAg’s seven other partners to make significant economic investments in their local farm community while also getting high-quality, local farm products onto the tables of those who would otherwise not have access.

“We’re hopeful the federal government continues to fund this program,” he explains. “This is a program worth investing in. We’ve proven here in Connecticut that it can work for both farmers and people in need.”

For more information about the LFPA, visit portal.ct.gov.

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