A new initiative for the bison industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
A new pilot program is designed to widen access by tribal bison meat producers to a USDA food purchase program and local and regional food system markets. USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Moffitt says the new pilot program will remove barriers for some tribal bison producers in gaining access to USDA programs.
“This new pilot project is about supporting local food production and tribal dietary preferences to add locally sourced bison for distribution through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). (In) this program, we’re actually purchasing food from four producers in South Dakota, of which three are tribal producers. It is really about part of USDA’s commitment to promote equity and to remove barriers to USDA services and programs for Indian country. It’s about providing flexibility and access to USDA programs for tribal and small producers and empower tribal self-determination,” she said.
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.