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MDAC to Host Information Sessions on Local Food Purchase Assistance Program
in Batesville and Hattiesburg
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will host two information sessions for local farmers, food producers and food processors interested in participating in MDAC’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. The first session will be held on Wednesday, May 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mid-South Food Bank, located at 875 South Highway 51 in Batesville. The second session will be held on Monday, May 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mississippi State University Forrest County Extension Office, located at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg.
In 2022, MDAC was awarded $2.82 million through a Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture. Through this initiative, food will be procured from local farmers and food producers, including socially disadvantaged farmers and processors, and distributed to underserved communities throughout the state. MDAC has partnered with the Mississippi Food Network, Feeding the Gulf Coast and Mid-South Food Bank, three Feeding America affiliated food banks, to procure and distribute the local food through their networks of existing and new agency partners.
The purpose of these information sessions is to provide attendees with support in creating productive marketing opportunities within the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and put producers directly in contact with local food banks. Representatives from the food banks will be in attendance. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MSLFPA to register for an information session today.
MDAC has developed a directory of local farmers and food processors for the food banks to utilize to find local Mississippi food products. Farmers and other food producers and processors that are interested in potentially marketing their products through this program are encouraged to register their farm or business in the directory at www.mdac.ms.gov/msfp/. Types of eligible food items include, but are not limited to, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat products, rice, eggs, value-added processed foods and beverages.
Visit www.mdac.ms.gov/msfp/ for more information about the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and to register for the online directory. To learn more about the upcoming information session, contact Purvie Green at purvie@mdac.ms.gov or (601) 359-1168.
MageeNews.com is an online news website covering Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi.
