The third round of contracts was recently announced for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. An additional $1 billion has been made available for the latest round of contracts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded just over $856 million to 50 companies to help distribute boxes of produce to those in need.
“These contract awards will go to vendors who submitted the strongest proposals in support of American agriculture and the American people. The high level of interest and quality of proposals are a testament that the program is accomplishing what we intended – supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most. It’s a real trifecta, which is why we call it a win-win-win,” Secretary Perdue said in a news release. “Thanks to President Trump and his commitment to the program with the announcement of an additional $1 billion in funding, more farmers will be supported, and more families will receive the nutritious food they need during these difficult times.”
USDA has recently hit a milestone, having distributed more than 91 million boxes of produce through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program as of September 17. Five vendors based in California were approved for contracts, including Travel Well Holdings, Daylight Foods, E.K.K. Investments, LA Specialty Produce, and Luberski, Inc. The Shamrock Foods Company as well as the Sysco Corporation will also be shipping produce boxes to California outlets.
The third round of contract applications emphasized combination boxes of produce, meat, dairy products, and fluid milk. The second round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program which ended on September 18 included the purchase of $1.1 billion of produce. The initial launch of the food box program resulted in more than 35.5 million boxes of food delivered within the first 45 days of the program.
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