Local Food Procurement Assistance Program

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The Local Food Procurement Assistance program (LFPA) is a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and two Oklahoma state agencies – ODAFF and OK Dept. of Human Services. The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. 

With the cooperative agreement, The Oklahoma Local Farmers Program for Underserved Populations will identify and reach out to underserved farmers and producers to provide them an opportunity to distribute food products to local underserved communities, helping to expand economic development for both the producers and the communities they serve. 

The agreement will establish a state-wide clearinghouse to help local farmers and producers work with distributors and food hubs to expand their business while enabling food banks to select the products and quantities of these products that they need to best serve their communities. Producers that identify as belonging to a socially disadvantaged group* will receive priority on the list while purchasers must buy products that are grown locally**. In order to facilitate the connection between producers and purchases, ODAFF will maintain a list of qualified producers that wish to sell products to food banks and other entities that target underserved communities. To participate in this program, producers must meet several qualifications:

*As defined by USDA for this program, a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher is a farmer or rancher who is a member of a Socially Disadvantaged Group. A Socially Disadvantaged Group is a group whose members have been subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. 

**within 400 miles of point of distribution

Legal Disclaimer for the Oklahoma Local Food Procurement Assistance Program

By purchasing food through the Oklahoma Local Food Procurement Assistance Program (Program), the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is not guaranteeing the product is safe for consumption. ODAFF is not responsible for any injury that may result from food purchased and consumed through the Program. For produce, the Program requires the producer to be registered with ODAFF’s Food Safety division, have a food safety certification by attending an educational training on good agricultural practices, and have completed a food safety checklist. For meat and poultry, the Program requires the producer to be registered with ODAFF’s Food Safety division and the processor to be state or federally inspected. For eggs, the Program requires the producer to retain a Small Egg Packers License and follow Oklahoma Egg Law. For dairy products, the Program requires the products to be pasteurized and processed in a permitted facility inspected by ODAFF Dairy Inspection. For value added products, the Program requires the producer to process the produce in a commercial kitchen and abide by all Oklahoma Health Department regulations.