Want USDA to Buy Your Crops for Food Banks? The Application Deadline is May 1
April 30, 2020 
USDA is revamping its Food Assistance Program into a short-term Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). It’s offering to treat produce growers as government contractors, paying growers to ship boxes of crops to food banks. The catch? You have to move quickly. The application deadline is May 1. And USDA will award contract May 10. That’s lightning fast for a government program.
What You Need to Know
USDA hosted a series of webinars this week spelling out how to apply and how the program will work. A more technical webinar earlier in the week focuses on how to apply to participate in CFAP:
If you prefer to skip the YouTube video, you can check out USDA’s notes on the webinar in its Google Docs.
On Wednesday, USDA held another short webinar to give an overview to the program. The Wednesday webinar hasn’t yet posted online. Here are some of the highlights:
Consumer Safety a Must
The Food Assistance Program usually involves shiploads of produce. CFAP, on the other hand, allows for only boxes of mixed produce. Ideally, when trucks of boxed produce arrive, they can be taken directly from the truck and placed in consumer’s trunks.
That means growers who do not normally run CSAs will need to work with a distributor. In fact, David Tuckwiller, Director of USDA’s Commodity Procurement division, urged growers to reach out to distributors and food banks they already work with and urge them to also apply for the program. And if you do that, mention it in your application.
Tuckwiller also says producers must spell out their distribution plan.
Fresh Produce Only, No Nuts
USDA limits what can be included in the boxes. Fresh produce, dairy products, and some meats may be included in the program. CFAP is not including canned produce or nuts.
Usual Federal Rules Apply
CFAP is offering federal contracts to producers, which mean the usual federal rules apply. For example, only U.S. producers are eligible. However, you do not need pre-approval to apply, a step usually required in federal bids.
GrowingProduce.com’s sister website, GreenhouseGrower.com, has an excellent, in-depth article spelling out the program in more detail.
Subscribe Today For
