The LFPA program was established by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service in 2022 and then extended with the LFPA Plus program in 2023. Together, the programs ran from June 2022 – May 2025. LFPA was funded through the American Rescue Plan and LFPA Plus was funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation.
Through cooperative agreements, the program distributed funds to states and tribal regions, who then set up a competitive awarding process to provide funds to organizations to purchase local food from farmers and fishers, focusing on historically underserved producers. All the food purchased was then distributed for free to people experiencing food insecurity in Massachusetts.
Between LFPA and LFPA Plus, Massachusetts received over $14,000,000 in funding, roughly $11,000,000 of which was used directly for food purchases. The remaining funds were used for administrative expenses during LFPA.
Under LFPA, 16 organizations were awarded and under LFPA Plus, 15 organizations were awarded. 8 of these 31 organizations received funding in both rounds.
LFPA key takeaways:
- Local food purchased was purchased from 410 unique producers
- 44% of those purchases (or $2 million in purchase value) were from historically underserved farms
- 390 new farmer connections were made
- 173 (44%) of these were with historically underserved farmers
- Local food was distributed to 491 unique locations across the Commonwealth
- 98.5% of these distribution sites were in underserved communities
- 99 new distribution partnerships were formed, where all but 1 were in underserved communities and 4 were partnerships with tribal communities.
LFPA Plus key takeaways:
- Local food purchased was purchased from 450 unique producers
- 53% of those purchases (or $3.4 million in purchase value) were from historically underserved farms
- 241 new farmer connections were made
- 96 (40%) of these were with historically underserved farmers
- Local food was distributed to 402 unique locations across the Commonwealth
- 96% of these distribution sites were in underserved areas
- 114 new distribution partnerships were formed, 111 of which are in underserved communities
MDAR receives constant positive feedback regarding the LFPA and LFPA Plus programs and the incredible impact they had on agriculture in the Commonwealth. The most often heard phrase regarding this program is “game-changer.” It is hard to underscore just how imperative this funding has been for our agricultural producers, including new and beginning farmers, and food insecure communities.
LFPA Plus Awardees
Amherst Survival Center – Amherst, MA: $430,000
The Amherst Survival Center (ASC) will strengthen the local food system by connecting local producers with area residents facing food insecurity. Through their Farm to Pantry Project, ASC aims to provide fresh, local, and culturally appropriate food for free to roughly 3,700 individuals monthly over the life of the grant. Because of the strong existing infrastructure, ASC is able to put the vast majority of their award towards food purchasing with a focus on socially disadvantaged farmers, boosting the local agriculture sector as well. Through partnerships and conversations sustained before, during, and after the grant, strategies will be identified to maintain the work beyond the grant.
Berkshire Grown – Great Barrington, MA: $750,000
Berkshire Grown is collaborating with Berkshire Bounty to expand their Berkshire Farm to Food Access outreach to serve more than two dozen food access sites throughout Berkshire County. Berkshire Grown is the regional Buy Local group and works to provide consistent outlets for locally grown produce, meat, dairy and eggs, delivering the products to food pantries through a strong network of existing partnerships across Berkshire County.
Boston Area Gleaners – Acton, MA: $750,000
Boston Area Gleaners sources fresh, local fruits and vegetables and distributes them to areas that need them most. By leveraging existing infrastructure, the Gleaners will focus on the immediate needs of families who lack access to fresh produce while supporting regional farms, particularly small, socially disadvantaged growers. The services the Gleaners offers to growers and consumers – pick-up, storage, aggregation and distribution of fresh, local produce is felt across the state and the entirety of the supply chain.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension – Barnstable, MA: $750,000
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension’s (CCCE) Land and Sea Initiative strengthened Cape Cod’s food system by linking local producers with food-insecure communities, fostering equity, and advancing sustainable, community-driven solutions. CCCE partnered with Cape Abilities Farm, a nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities, to serve as a year-round procurement and food access hub. Using LFPA funds, the farm purchased produce from local growers, assembled boxes, and distributed them to underserved communities—while providing clients with employment and vocational training in food safety, packaging, and distribution.
The Initiative further supports the food system by:
- Independent farmers: Distributing free Land and Sea boxes with seasonal produce and pints of chowder and fish stew to community-based organizations.
- Fishing industry: Partnering with local cooperatives to support small-boat fishers and ensuring access to healthy, locally sourced protein.
- Equity in farming: Collaborating with Haitian and Brazilian leaders through the Everyone Eats Cultural Community Gardens, expanding crop production and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Coastal Foodshed – New Bedford, MA: $750,000
Coastal Foodshed is partnering with multiple members of the South Coast’s emergency food network to distribute fresh, local food to residents across the region. Coastal Foodshed leverages its existing infrastructure and connections as the region’s food hub to efficiently coordinate sources and distribute large volumes of local food to those who need it.
Grow Food Northampton - Northampton, MA: $300,000
Grow Food Northampton (GFN) will partner with local, community-owned food cooperative River Valley Co-op (RVC) on the Nourishing Our Community Project to purchase produce from a strong network of socially disadvantaged farmers and distribute this food across the greater Northampton area. GFN and RVC will use a variety of distribution models, including working with existing distribution partners, operating a free mobile market, and continuing their Food for All program. Additionally, they plan to purchase from lessees on the GFN Community Farm, most of whom self-identify as socially disadvantaged.
Growing Places – Leominster, MA $487,687
Building on the successes of the LFPA program, Growing Places launched the Fresh Box Plus initiative to expand the reach and impact of the original Fresh Box program supported by the Local Food Works (LFW) coalition of more than 130 regional partners. Fresh Box Plus brought fresh, culturally responsive local food via Fresh Boxes valued at $50 directly to North Central MA residents through an expanded network of distribution partners and mobile delivery sites. Through this model, GP operated 57 Fresh Box+ distribution sites and delivered 7,038 Fresh Box+ boxes to households across North Central MA. The program also helped 44 newly identified food-insecure households gain reliable access to local food by supporting their enrollment in SNAP/HIP. On the farm side, 27 NCMA small and/or historically underserved farmers participated in Fresh Box Plus, with 25 farmers engaging in crop planning for the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons - strengthening local farm viability while ensuring that culturally preferred foods reach the region’s most vulnerable residents.
Hilltown CDC - Chesterfield, MA: $200,000
LFPA Plus funding allowed the Hilltown Market to cover CSA costs for food-insecure households, host free pop-up farmers markets at subsidized senior housing complexes across the Hilltowns, and deliver fresh, seasonal products to nine rural food pantries. It also expanded our free “Help Yourself” fridge, enabling us to offer larger quantities of staple foods to community members. Every dollar of the grant flowed directly into the local food system, strengthening the incomes of 37 rural producers while increasing access to healthy, locally grown food throughout the region.
Merrimack Valley Food Bank – Lowell, MA: $50,000
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB) used LFPA Plus funds to purchase and distribute food year-round to a network of 100 food pantries, meal sites, temporary residence homes, and other distribution partners across 34 communities in the Merrimack Valley. Fresh produce sourced from local small farmers was provided to senior clients through our Community Market, a free, farmers-market–style program hosted at nine public housing properties.
Northampton Survival Center - Northampton, MA: $69,000
The Northampton Survival Center (NSC) is an emergency food provider which used LFPA Plus funds to expand its food purchase and distribution power through new partnerships with farmers and producers. Prioritizing sourcing from socially disadvantaged growers and women-owned businesses, the NSC distributed locally-grown produce, eggs, and milk to over 4,000 residents of Hampshire County. Clients accessed these goods through the Center’s three modes of distribution: drive-through pantry hours, on-line ordering with curbside pick-up appointments, and deliveries to low-income, senior, and disabled housing sites and others who were unable to travel to the pantry.
Northeast Organic Farming Association, MA – Barre, MA: $717,115
Nourishing the North Shore – Newburyport, MA: $182,750
Nourishing the North Shore (NNS) works to purchase and distribute food by delivering food for free to a network of consumer-facing organizations (food pantry and meal programs), free farmers market, and fully subsidizing CSA memberships for direct farm-to-consumer food delivery. This three-pronged food delivery system allows NNS to meet consumers' needs as they arise and broaden their partnerships with farmers as they source various food items from farmers across Essex County.
The Salem Pantry – Salem, MA: $515,000
The Salem Pantry has been committed to ensuring the essential right to convenient and reliable access to healthy food. Distributing over 275,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious food through a variety of programs, including The Market, mobile pantries, home delivery, and medically tailored food boxes. Its food distribution hub is a central part of the North Shore’s food security network, expanding access to nutritious food and supporting 20 community organizations. With deep community roots and a proven track record of impact, The Salem Pantry addresses both immediate food insecurity and the systemic challenges that contribute to it, working to build a stronger, more resilient food system that ensures everyone can access the food they need. LFPA funding will strengthen relationships with local producers and provide fresh local food to the North Shore community.
World Farmers – Lancaster, MA: $750,000
YMCA of Greater Boston – Boston, MA: $310,915
The YMCA of Greater Boston (YGB) aims to grow its food distribution efforts by expanding its local produce options through greater collaboration with MA farmers and producers. Through 45 distribution partners, YGB will utilize a mobile market food truck and grocery bag distribution system to bring fresh, local, and culturally relevant food to low-income communities across Boston. YGB will also pair the distribution of local produce with nutrition education to community members.
LFPA Awardees
Berkshire Grown – Great Barrington, MA: $550,000
Berkshire Grown is collaborating with Berkshire Bounty to expand their Berkshire Farm to Food Access outreach to serve more than two dozen food access sites throughout Berkshire County. Berkshire Grown is the regional Buy Local group and works to provide consistent outlets for locally grown produce, meat, dairy and eggs, delivering the products to food pantries through a strong network of existing partnerships across Berkshire County.
Boston Area Gleaners – Waltham, MA: $539,228
Boston Area Gleaners sources fresh, local fruits and vegetables and distributes them to areas that need them most. By leveraging existing infrastructure, the Gleaners will focus on the immediate needs of families who lack access to fresh produce while supporting regional farms, particularly small, socially disadvantaged growers. The services the Gleaners offers to growers and consumers – pick-up, storage, aggregation and distribution of fresh, local produce is felt across the state and the entirety of the supply chain.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension – Barnstable, MA: $450,530
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension’s (CCCE) Land and Sea Initiative strengthened Cape Cod’s food system by linking local producers with food-insecure communities, fostering equity, and advancing sustainable, community-driven solutions. CCCE partnered with Cape Abilities Farm, a nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities, to serve as a year-round procurement and food access hub. Using LFPA funds, the farm purchased produce from local growers, assembled boxes, and distributed them to underserved communities—while providing clients with employment and vocational training in food safety, packaging, and distribution.
The Initiative further supports the food system by:
- Independent farmers: Distributing free Land and Sea boxes with seasonal produce and pints of chowder and fish stew to community-based organizations.
- Fishing industry: Partnering with local cooperatives to support small-boat fishers and ensuring access to healthy, locally sourced protein.
- Equity in farming: Collaborating with Haitian and Brazilian leaders through the Everyone Eats Cultural Community Gardens, expanding crop production and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Coastal Foodshed – New Bedford, MA: $697,121
Coastal Foodshed will work through their existing network of more than 65 local farmers and local food entrepreneurs to purchase local meats, eggs, dairy, and pantry items to distribute free of charge at farmers market and mobile farm stand locations to increase awareness of, and foot traffic to, Coastal Foodshed’s locations. Through a robust marketing campaign, and the distribution of items free of charge, they plan to increase foot traffic to Coastal Foodshed’s locations where new customers will also have the opportunity to purchase other local foods and learn about the Healthy Incentives Program.
Eastern Woodlands Rematriation – Hull, MA: $161,000
Eastie Farm – East Boston, MA: $539,032
Eastie Farm will purchase local produce from farms primarily within 100 miles of Boston to create free produce boxes for residents of East Boston, with an emphasis on subsidized housing communities and the underserved Orient Heights part of the neighborhood. The boxes will be primarily available during the harvest season, projected to be from May to November of 2023. The distribution will be accomplished through collaboration with the Orient Heights BHA benefits team, the Victory Gardens building management, Maverick Landing Community Services, and Grace Federated Food Pantry with regularly scheduled distributions at each site.
Greater Boston Food Bank – Boston, MA: $500,000
Grow Food Northampton – Florence, MA: $398,159
Grow Food Northampton will partner with local community-owned food cooperative River Valley Co-op to provide technical support to socially disadvantaged local producers and purchase products from them for distribution through their established programs, Community Food Distribution Project and Food For All, respectively, to low-income, food insecure households throughout the Northampton area.
Growing Places – Leominster, MA: $749,577
Growing Places’ LFPA program strengthened equitable food access across the North Central MA foodshed by connecting low-income and food-insecure households with fresh, culturally responsive local produce while supporting small and historically underserved farmers. Through crop-planning sessions with over two dozen North Central MA farms, GP helped scale production, identify preferred crops, and design recipes for its future processing-center products. As a result, 26 NCMA small and/or socially disadvantaged farmers increased resources to support their businesses. Bolstering food security, GP provided SNAP/HIP information, bilingual outreach materials, and dependable weekly distribution via Fresh Boxes valued a $40 to $60 based on household size, delivering 11,747 Fresh Boxes through 12 partner sites across seven communities during the grant period. These efforts increased nutrition benefit usage, strengthened historically underserved farms, and expanded reliable access to healthy local food for the region's most vulnerable residents.
Hilltown CDC – Chesterfield, MA: $75,000
LFPA funding enabled the Hilltown Market to create a voucher system that allowed self-identified food-insecure residents to purchase locally produced goods of their choosing and have them delivered at no cost. This support also allowed us to pilot our free pop-up farmers markets, bringing fresh, locally grown food directly to rural neighborhoods. Together, these efforts expanded access, strengthened dignity and choice, and increased demand for products from small Hilltown farms.
Just Roots – Greenfield, MA: $492,786
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass) – Barre, MA: $246,366
Pioneer Valley Workers Center – Northampton, MA: $530,000
The Pioneer Valley Workers Center’s People’s Pantry (La Despensa del Pueblo) distributed local and regional produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and other healthy foods to over 9,350 immigrants, low-wage workers, people of color, underserved populations, and anyone else in need. They partnered with Massachusetts-based and regional producers, with an emphasis on supporting socially disadvantaged farmers, to bring farm-fresh food and its positive health benefits to these communities at monthly distribution sites in Hampden and Franklin County. Lastly, they established a center in Turners Falls that served as a thriving community resource for food storage, distributions, and other training and events that support food justice and equity for underserved local residents.
Regional Environmental Council – Worcester, MA: $81,200
With the funding and support from the LFPA grant, we were able to coordinate the purchase and distribution of produce grown in Worcester County through partnerships with rural and urban producers and Main South area food pantries including Jeremiah’s Inn, El Buen Samaritano, and Catholic Charities. The produce was purchased primarily from Dismas Family Farm, a program of Dismas House of Massachusetts, a tax- exempt charitable 501(c)(3) agency that manages a network of housing and social services that provide an integrated and unique approach to ensure the success of homeless and former prisoners in the Greater Worcester area. Produce was secondarily sourced from small scale urban producers who focus on youth and BIPOC led urban farming projects and sourcing culturally significant crops, including the YouthGROW program.
Root NS, Inc. – Salem, MA: $500,000
World Farmers – Lancaster, MA: $750,000