On April 21, 2020, CPP held a webinar on its new $3 billion Farmers to Families boxed food distribution program. This is a special program, designed to address disruptions in the food supply chain brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Hosted by Deputy Administrator DaveTuckwiller, the webinar brought in approximately 3,900 viewers.
Tuckwiller explained CPP is not purchasing truckloads of food, as usual, but rather buying boxes from entities, whether farmers, ranchers, processors or manufacturers, with a variety of pre-packaged, household size products. Specifically, the program is seeking boxes of fresh produce, dairy products, chicken, and pork.
Hilary Cole, the contracting officer for this program, provided more details, mostly regarding the contracting side of the endeavor. She began by identifying the five types of boxes that will be accepted:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Dairy products
- Pre-cooked meat
- Combination of the above
- Fluid milk
Once the boxes are packed and loaded, they will be bound for food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans. Since the food is already boxed, it can go from “truck to trunk.” To maximize distribution, the country will be divided into seven regions (mid-Atlantic, mid-West, Mountain Plains, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Western).
The solicitation for the boxed food distribution program was issued on April 24, with bids due May 1. Awards will be made on May 10. Deliveries will begin as early as May 15.
Keep informed about the food box program by visiting our website, or sign up to automatically receive notices by accessing GovDelivery and selecting “USDA Food Box.”
Visit Our Website: Farmers to Families
Industry Days Update
CPP expected to hold Industry Days from April to July of this year, but plans were thwarted by COVID-19. Industry Days will now be revisited at a later date. Please check our website for updates.
Visit Our Website: Commodity Procurement Program
Past Webinars
Wednesday, April 29, 2020, at 2 PM (ET) – a webinar for farmers, shippers, and other suppliers interested in participating in the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. This webinar is an opportunity for these parties to learn how to move their food through this new program for produce, dairy, and meat products.
- View the Zoom Meeting Recording Access Password: 9f@a7VV8
Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 12 p.m. (ET) – a webinar to discuss technical details for the Request for Proposals
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 – an informational webinar discussing Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and providing an overview of Farm to Families Food Box Program
Participants: David Tuckwiller, Christopher Purdy, Elizabeth Lober, Hilary Cole
AMS Administrator Discusses Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Call with distributors and non-profit organizations to overview the Farmers to Families Food Box Program portion of the recent $19 billion CFAP announcements. The call took place on April 20, 2020.
Participants: Bruce Summers, Administrator, AMS, Mike Beatty, Director, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, Brandon Lipps, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services
Additional Resources
- For more information about the Farmers to Families Food Box Program contact USDAFoodBoxDistributionProgram@usda.gov
- Subscribe to receive updates on food purchases
- Web-Based Supply Chain Management
