Nourish Louisiana is Purchasing Local Goods from Louisiana Farmers/Producers

Nourish Louisiana is currently purchasing 1.8 million pounds of fresh local food to invest in Louisiana’s feeding network.

Nourish Louisiana is a partnership with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) with Feeding Louisiana that will provide millions of food for those in need. The program is looking for local farmers for fresh produce, meats, seafood, and rice. They will focus on local farmers, ranchers, and fishers who come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds which are defined by the USDA as those belonging to groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice without regard to their individual qualities. The project will prioritize BIPO, women, or veteran-owned agricultural enterprises. According to the official website, the funding is intended to offer special support to producers who have been historically systematically discriminated against and deprived of access to resources.

In turn, the program will also help the food insecure. The program invests in Louisiana’s Feeding network. Nourish Louisiana is a food purchase program that is funded by Federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars that will put fresh, locally-sourced products into the state’s food banks. Nourish Louisiana is investing $4.8 million in local producers to not only support local farmers but to support the state’s food banks!

Food products purchased through the grant will be distributed by the fice Louisiana food banks to communities most affected by food insecurity throughout Louisiana. The network includes the following partners:

• Second Harvest Food Bank
• Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
• Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana
• The Food Bank of Central Louisiana
• Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana
• The Louisiana Small-Scale Agricultural Coalition
• Red Stick Farmers Market (BREADA)
• Grow Acadiana 
• Louisiana Central 
• Market Umbrella
• Shreveport Green
• NOLA FPAC
• Sprout NOLA

If you are a Louisiana farmer that produces vegetables, fruits, pork, beef, seafood, honey, or rice and are interested in selling to local food banks at a fair market value, the website offers a contact form to submit to see if you’re eligible. For more information, email help@nourishlouisiana.org or call (504) 487-2441.