USDA funding to provide new opportunities for underserved Illinois farmers and communities

SPRINGFIELD, IL- The Illinois Division of Agriculture and Illinois Division of Human Companies have secured United States Division of Agriculture funding that gives new alternatives for underserved farmers and communities. The Native Meals Buying Cooperative Settlement will permit Illinois to buy produce, proteins and contemporary processed meals instantly from farmers at truthful market worth. Meals will then be distributed to communities in want, together with colleges, non-profits and the meals financial institution system.

State-wide companions will convene in yr one of many program to develop an implementation plan, making an allowance for the wants of underserved farmers and communities not historically served by means of meals distribution networks. This planning course of will even study how culturally applicable contemporary meals may be made extra accessible to meals insecure communities.

12 months two of this system will start with a Discover of Funding Alternative for the issuance of subawards for administration of a number of state-wide combination websites. These websites will function assortment facilities for merchandise from underserved farmers. Every awarded aggregation website shall be answerable for partaking with underserved farmers, buying meals, monitoring metrics, packaging product, transporting product and making certain equitable distribution of those merchandise to underserved communities all through Illinois.

“I’m grateful to the USDA for his or her partnership with IDHS and IDOA in making a inventive, coordinated program just like the Native Meals Buying Cooperative Settlement,” stated Governor JB Pritzker.