Overview
The purpose of the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program is to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by supporting local, regional, and underserved producers through the purchase of domestic local foods.
In Vermont, the program focus is to purchase Vermont grown and produced food to feed local communities.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) administers this program in Vermont through a $1,017,953 cooperative agreement with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, made up of two separate funding sources. Projects completed between March 2023 and March 2024 are funded through Investing in America’s American Rescue Plan (ARPA).
In the Fall of 2023, VAAFM will award the remaining $400,000 funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). This portion of the program is referred to as “LFPA Plus”. While similarly structured, these two funding sources have different parameters.
Current LFPA Plus Awardees
Approximately $430,000 has be awarded to twelve organizations that have diverse projects to purchase from socially disadvantaged Vermont farmers and producers and distribute to underserved community members across the state. Projects will focus on increasing equity and cultivating new relationships between local growers and entities providing food to their neighbors. Some projects will involve continuation and/or expansion of previously funded LFPA projects.
Projects will begin this spring and run for one year across 13 Vermont counties.
Awards include:
- $50,000 to Community Food Project, through fiscal agent Retreat Farm, to provide 65 free CSA shares to families in need through their Farm Share program. (Windham County)
- $49,780 to Center for an Agricultural Economy, to expand their Produce to Pantries program to facilitate increased distribution of Vermont grown food at five area food pantries. (Caledonia & Orleans Counties)
- $47,705 to BROC Community Action Food Shelf to expand the availability of goat and pork meat and produce at the BROC Food Shelf by purchasing from Rutland and Bennington County producers. (Rutland and Bennington Counties)
- $45,000 to Intervale Center to improve the variety offerings and impact of Fair Share CSA program and provide twelve pop-up distributions in historically underserved communities during winter months. (Chittenden County)
- $45,000 to SUSU commUNITY Farm to expand their free Box of Resilience CSA program to provide locally grown, culturally relevant vegetables for BIPOC families and new refugees. (Windham County)
- $40,595 to Senior Solutions, to partner CSA farms with twelve distribution sites, serving elderly and otherwise abled community members, and purchase CSA shares to be deconstructed and distributed at each site. (Windsor County)
- $33,000 to Conscious Homestead, through fiscal agent Community Resilience Organizations, to expand their Community Care Share Program to distribute locally grown and produced food from BIPOC-operated enterprises to members of the Black and Brown communities. (Chittenden County)
- $30,000 to Maquam Bay of Missisquoi to expand the volume and diversity of food available at their food shelf, especially, protein (meat), vegetables and honey. (Franklin County)
- $30,000 to Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity and Feeding Chittenden to purchase vacuum-sealed halal goat meat from Dhaurali Goats to be distributed to food insecure Vermonters. (Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle Counties)
- $21,000 to Capstone Community Action to expand availability and distribution of meat, eggs and produce through their food shelf. (Washington, Lamoille, Orange Counties)
- $20,000 to Glinnis Hill Farm to provide 30 summer and 20 winter cost-free CSA shares to households and families in their community through their CSA programming. (Washington County)
- $15,000 to The People’s Farmstand, through fiscal agent Peace and Justice Center, to connect underserved community members with expanded local, organic, and culturally appropriate produce at weekly and monthly farmstands. (Chittenden County)
Previous LFPA Awardees
Targeted Projects
Five projects with nonprofit partners began in fall 2022:
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$72,000 to The Intervale Center to expand offerings, especially of culturally appropriate produce, at pop-up farmers markets in historically underserved neighborhoods.
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$61,765 to The Vermont Foodbank to partner with a New American chicken farmer and local slaughterhouse to offer halal chicken to be distributed to New Americans throughout the state. This project will also purchase and distribute African corn varietals.
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$50,000 to Abenaki Helping Abenaki to purchase culturally appropriate food for distribution via partner food pantries and distribution sites across the state. Funding will also support increased staffing at one food pantry to expand open hours.
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$50,000 to Center for an Agricultural Economy to expand Produce to Pantry offerings that supplies food pantries with fresh, local food.
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$20,000 to Capstone Community Action to purchase local food for use in Community Kitchen Academy training program and associated distribution sites as well as their food shelf.
Fiscal Year 2023 Projects (ARPA-Funds)
The Agency administered a competitive grant program in late 2022 to solicit project ideas from farms, food producers, and organizations that will utilize funding to procure Vermont food and distribute to the community.
9 projects received grant funding, with projects starting in spring 2023:
- $50,000 to SUSU commUNITY Farm to launch an expanded free CSA program to provide locally grown, culturally relevant vegetables for BIPOC families and new refugees.
- $37,319 to Conscious Homestead, through fiscal agent Community Resilience Organizations, to expand their Community Care Share Program to distribute locally grown and produced food from BIPOC-operated enterprises to members of the Black and Brown communities.
- $25,500 to support Healthy Roots Collaborative, a program of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, to purchase and distribute local food to 20 Northwest Farmacy CSA recipients and 8 NOTCH Clinic mini-fridges.
- $22,279 to Addison County Relocalization Network to expand their “prescription CSA” share program by 3 weeks and 20 families.
- $19,700 to Community Food Project, through fiscal agent Retreat Farm, to provide 25 free CSA shares to families in need through their Farm Share and other food distribution efforts.
- $13,500 to Maquam Bay of Missisquoi to increase operational hours and purchase additional food for their Food Shelf.
- $10,800 to The People’s Farmstand, through fiscal agent Peace and Justice Center, to connect underserved community members with expanded local, organic, and culturally appropriate produce at a weekly farmstand.
- $10,288 to Vermont Farmer’s Food Center to expand their Farmacy’s geographic service area to increase food shares to rural Community Health Clinics.
- $9,850 to Orange Southwest Unified Union to increase fresh farm products in their ‘Food for Thought’ grocery bag distribution for families during school breaks.
Emergency Relief Projects (CCC-Funds)
In August 2023, VAAFM awarded eight projects for a total of $94,200. These projects will utilize procurement funds to support meeting emergent and exacerbated food security needs directly impacted by the flooding and severe weather in Vermont in 2023.
2023 LFPA Plus Grant Application
How to Apply - Now CLOSED for Applications
- Review the full Request for Applications (RFA) for complete details on eligible projects/applicants.
- WATCH Webinar:
Application Period: October 30, 2023 to December 12, 2023 at 2PM.
Get Involved!
Are you a Vermont farmer/producer interested in selling products for the projects above? Please fill out this interest form to be connected to this work. This list will be updated periodically.
If you are a current grantee, please contact Sarah at sarah.mcilvennie@vermont.gov for an updated list of potential farmers to partner with.
Program Contact
Sarah McIlvennie
802-261-5866