BY USDA | December 18, 2020
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the accomplishments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the past year.
“While this was a tough year with the coronavirus, historic wildfires, and weather damage, USDA met these challenges with a multitude of programs and services to support Americans and keep our agricultural sector running and responsive to the country’s needs,” said Secretary Perdue. “We salute our mission areas and agencies for keeping our customers front and center, serving the American people, farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers.”
Farmers to Families Food Box Program:
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchased $8.6 billion in food for delivery to food banks, churches, schools, community organizations, tribal organizations, and international food aid organizations through va
Prior to COVID-19, Portsmouth’s Gather food pantry was serving roughly 100,000 pounds of food to 2,500-3,000 people a month. Since the pandemic began and more people are finding themselves food insecure, Gather has upped its monthly food distribution to 200,000 pounds to about 6,500-7,000 people, according to Associate Executive Director Seneca Bernard.
Through strong partnerships with the New Hampshire Food Bank and other meal distribution organizations, Bernard said he and colleagues statewide have become more flexible in their work to meet increasing demand.
“So while there’s been a lot of challenges, some of the positives that have come out of it have certainly benefited the underlying support system that we all have,” he said.
Secretary Sonny Perdue in Indiana. Photo: Gary Truitt
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is applauding the accomplishments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the past year.
“While this was a tough year with the coronavirus, historic wildfires, and weather damage, USDA met these challenges with a multitude of programs and services to support Americans and keep our agricultural sector running and responsive to the country’s needs,” said Secretary Perdue. “We salute our mission areas and agencies for keeping our customers front and center, serving the American people, farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers.”
Farmers to Families Food Box Program: