A federally funded program is working hard to keep local food systems strong — and to keep it working, local producers are essential.

The Regional Farm to Food Bank program, for the duration of the 2023 growing season, has awarded Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network a proposal to build and deliver produce boxes to a food bank. Agri-Cultura Cooperative network, a food hub based in Albuquerque, aggregates produce from more than 30 farms in New Mexico and tribal nations. They had never before had an opportunity to supply local fresh food to food banks in return for fair market prices, and the food bank had never before received local, fresh, high-quality food items on a consistent basis to distribute to those seeking food assistance.

Creating and supporting these food-system links are what the regional bank is seeking to accomplish. Through the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting supply chain disruptions, many of us, including policymakers, became acutely aware of the gaps between local agriculture and the emergency food network. Hence, the United States Department of Agriculture created the Local Food Purchasing Assistance program. The Regional Farm to Food Bank is New Mexico’s local program accessing these federal funds.