Pennsylvania food distributors will receive more than $50 million of $1.2 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program

Governor Tom Wolf announced today that Pennsylvania food distributors will receive more than $50 million of $1.2 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program. Money will fund the purchase of surplus milk and other dairy products, as well as chicken, pork and fresh produce from Pennsylvania farmers who lost markets for their products due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Distributors will work with food banks and other non-profit organizations statewide to get food boxes to PA families who are facing food insecurity.

The funding comes as part of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program (CFAP) Secretary Perdue announced on April 17 that USDA is exercising authority under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to purchase and distribute agricultural products to those in need. Through this program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is partnering with national, regional and local suppliers, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of restaurants, hotels and other food service businesses, to purchase up to $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products.

Contracts awarded in the first funding round of $1.2 billion can be found HERE.

If you have questions or concerns about the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, e-mail us at cares@brinkersimpson.com.

Source: Governor Wolf Press Release and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Response resource at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap