Governor Mills Urges USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to Include Maine Farmers and Food Distributors in Critical Federal Aid Program

November 5, 2020

For more information contact: Jim Britt at: jim.britt@maine.gov

AUGUSTA - Governor Mills is urging Secretary Sonny Perdue to reevaluate the latest round of Farmers to Families Food Box program contract awards to include Maine-based food distributors.

"Maine farmers, distributors, and local partners are ready and able to feed our families impacted by food insecurity," wrote Governor Mills. As it stands now, with a contractor from Maryland selected by the USDA to begin handling distribution for our state, Maine people will receive imported food from elsewhere, and we will have no control over the quality of food included in the boxes.

As part of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, the USDA is partnering with food distributors to purchase fresh produce, dairy, and meat products for food boxes for Americans in need. Maine Farmers Exchange, a Presque Isle distribution company, and Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, a Westbrook distribution company, received contracts as part of the Farmers to Food Box second round of awards during July. Still, no Maine-based food distributor was included in other program funding rounds, including the fourth round of contracts announced Friday, October 30.

We are once again urging you to quickly reevaluate the contractor selection process and include a Maine distributor (or distributors) in the Program's fourth round and all subsequent contract awards, Governor Mills wrote. This step will allow Mainers to execute the Farmers to Families Food Box Program responsibly and put our experience and good common sense to work for the USDA and the people of Maine.

Governor Mills, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal, and Senators Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden have repeatedly encouraged Secretary Perdue to include Maine food distributors and farmers in the USDA's Farmers to Families Food Box Program and advocated for funding for agricultural producers negatively impacted by market disruptions due to COVID-19.

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