Indianhead food pantry to get local produce thanks to grant
Two local farms have been contracted to receive Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) grant funding. We Grow LLC in Westboro and Rue de Bungaloo Farm in Athens are both participating in the program for the 2023 growing season. The Indianhead Community Action Agency in Medford is slated to receive $10,000 in fresh produce grown less than 20 miles away.
Rue de Bungaloo Farm is a perennialfocused operation specializing in fruit such as apples, pears, raspberries, and elderberries. They also grow and sell mushrooms and both culinary and seed garlic as well as pastured pork. We Grow LLC is a diversified vegetable farm serving the community primarily through a weekly CSA. Both farms can be found selling local food at the Medford Farmers Market slated to open on Sunday, May 14.
“I’ve been working closely with the folks at ICAA to create a harvest plan and determine exactly what varieties of produce and how much will work best for their clients. We intend to begin weekly deliveries in early May and continue through December. Our team is excited for this opportunity to feed people in our own area who need our food the most,” Rebecca Zuleger of We Grow explained. “Additional LFPA purchases will be made from our farm for the Wisconsin Tribal Elder Box, a program we participated in last year as well.”
The WI LFPA program targets small to medium-sized, socially disadvantaged, and historically underserved producers. Accepted applicants have access to producer education and trainings regarding food safety, wholesale readiness, and market opportunities. Products purchased through the program will supply food security efforts across the state. WI LFPA Program has committed $1.5 million in preseason contract agreements to Wisconsin farmers selling products to the program. This new program aims to strengthen local and regional food systems, support Wisconsin farmers, and distribute fresh nutritious foods to underserved communities.
Four primary stakeholders are overseeing the program for the State of Wisconsin.
DATCP will work collaboratively with producers, distributors, food security organizations, and tribal partners to provide program development, coordinate transportation and logistics, and procure food from local producers.
Wisconsin Farmers Union will work to further develop Wisconsin’s local food network by organizing online resources and mapping Wisconsin’s producers with the Wisconsin Local Foods Directory.
Marbleseed will provide producer education and technical assistance as well as offer $1.5 million in grants for farmers to provide food to underserved communities.
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative will support the strategic movement of food around the state and engage aggregation businesses.
Farmers will determine the price of product(s) in their contract based on their cost to produce. Pricing must be reasonable as compared to the cost of a similar product on the market, considering farm certifications, scale, region, and inflation.
If you manage a community pantry and would like to receive local farm products, reach out to an LFPA Specialist (Daisy Perez, daisy.perezdefoe@marbleseed.org, 715-309-5918 x723 and Tay Fatke, tay.fatke@marbleseed.org, 715-309-5918 x724) and inform them that you would like to receive food through this program. Please include information about the product types and quantities you are able to accept at your site, as well as any products that you have a high demand for in your community. They will add you to a list of potential food delivery sites.
More information is available at https://www.wilocalfood.org/.
