I mean it's for the benefit of not just the farmer, the community.
In rural communities it's very difficult to get really healthy food and we have a lack
of that.
So we need to find a way to help in low income families to get access to organic food, natural
food.
So if we have those win-wins with these programs we need to focus on those.
It gives me a lot of hope actually.
The idea that people can access good local produce at a fair price.
Welcome to the 360th installment of Ear to the Ground, the Land Stewardship Project's
podcast on family farming, regenerative agriculture, community food systems and local democracy.
I'm Brian DeVore, editor of the Land Stewardship Letter.
Here are some troubling statistics.
In 2023, 18 million US households were food insecure at some time during the year, according
to the USDA.
That figure is up from 17 million in 2022.
Food insecurity is defined as a situation where people can't access the food they
need to live their fullest lives.
In short, these are people who, in the land of plenty, simply aren't getting enough
to eat.
There are problems throughout the country, but more common in rural areas.
The USDA says that the food insecurity rate is around 12% in rural communities versus
10.5% for all households.
Rural areas comprise less than two-thirds of all US counties, but 9 out of 10 counties
with the biggest food insecurity rates are rural, according to Feeding America.
This is particularly ironic given how these rural communities are often the center of
agricultural production.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of farmers who are willing and able to produce food for local
eaters in their communities, but who are stymied by a marketing and distribution system that's
structured around commodities like corn and soybeans.
This troubling gap between farmers and eaters was on my mind recently when I visited Rodrigo
Colles Farm in western Wisconsin's Barron County.
Rodrigo, who raises produce, chickens, hogs, and sheep, is participating in a program that's
trying to reduce some of that food insecurity in rural areas while supporting farmers who
produce fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables, meats, and value-added products.
The Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program pays farmers a fair price for the
production and then distributes that food to local food pantries and food banks.
Called LFPA for short, versions of the initiative exist in other parts of the country and are
often structured around a partnership between state departments of agriculture and local
farm and food nonprofits.
The USDA administers the program and funding is provided by the Federal American Rescue
Plan.
In Wisconsin, the program has been up and running for two years and has produced some
impressive results.
In 2024 alone, 125 farmers from throughout the state sold $1.8 million worth of food
through the program.
While visiting Rodrigo's farm to learn more about the initiative, I also chatted with
Mike Lenz, who, along with his wife Jody, operates Threshing Table Farm in Star Prairie,
Wisconsin.
Like Rodrigo, the Lenz's have been selling produce through the LFPA program the past
two years.
I was struck by how the farmers were not only pleased with the economic boost the program
is providing them, but with how it gives them a chance to feed local folks in the community
who normally may not have access to fresh, nutritious food.
While at the farm, I not only talked to Rodrigo and Mike, but also Katie Crocht and Tay Fedke.
Katie works for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection
and coordinates the LFPA program in the state.
Tay is the farm education manager for Marble Seed, which is one of the organizations partnering
on the initiative.
Also partnering is the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, which helps distribute the food
and the Wisconsin Farmers Union.
Rodrigo, Mike, Katie, and Tay talked to me about how a program like this can be a win-win
for farmers and their local communities and how it could help set up a future market infrastructure
that better connects local farmers and local eaters.
Katie started our conversation by describing the program and Tay explained how farmers
get signed up to participate.
LFPA is a local food purchase assistance program.
So as a program coming out of the USDA that DECCAP received, we work with our partners,
Marble Seed, Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, and Wisconsin Farmers Union.
So we have contracts with local producers around the state.
This year we have 125 producers.
We purchase food from these producers and that food goes to hunger relief organizations,
so food pantries and food banks.
Do you have an idea of, so how long has it been going?
For two years, 2023 and 2024.
Okay, so what's kind of volume are you handling through that, do you know?
Yeah, so last year we purchased $1.8 million worth of food from local producers and this
year, 1.8, yes, and 1.8 again this year.
Okay, and how many producers?
This year we had, 2024 we have 125 producers, 2023 we had 138.
And so it's produce, is it any other, or is it just produce?
Produce, meat, and value-added products.
And pretty much across the state, these are farmers?
Across the whole state of Wisconsin.
Do other states have this program in place?
Yep, other programs do LFPA, but they may have a different model.
So ours is direct to farmers, so we work with farmers directly to do the purchasing and
then they go to organizations where a lot of other LFPA programs give the money to organizations
like food banks to then work with the farmers.
How does this work?
If you're a farmer who's signed up through this thing, what are some of the steps for
them to actually get paid through this and all of that?
Yeah, so we put out an application in the fall just for farmers to apply and explain
a little bit about their farm and what they're interested in offering, and then we make the
selection process.
We prioritize working with historically underserved farmers, getting an idea of what their farm
can offer the program.
Then we move to accept applications.
This year it was in December, and then start the contracting process.
So we identified how much acreage they have, what they're growing to determine a contract
amount.
Contracts ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 in 2024.
And then there's an onboarding process.
So we have a meeting for the farmers for wholesale readiness and onboarding into the program
to explain the payment process, to explain how to move towards more of a wholesale model
on their farm.
We work with a lot of farmers that are either farming for farmers markets or CSA.
So it is a little bit a different model for them to sell.
So we do some training around packaging in cases, packing to spec, so they can build
their wholesale capacity.
And then they're responsible for transportation, aggregation, that kind of thing?
So we work with the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative where they have money in this program to move
product around the state, which is super beneficial to the farmer.
Anytime a truck can pull up right to the farm and load up and take it, it takes that pressure
off the farmer and it's a huge win-win.
We also work with some farms where there's some connections with food pantries and farms
will, the food pantry will pick up directly from the farm.
And that's great because it's just building connections, you know, for if in the future
they can work more closely together.
We've had really success with Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee.
They've been able to purchase outside of the LFPA programs and work with the farmers in
the LFPA program to just sell more of their products.
So it's been hugely beneficial that way.
So I'm sorry, how many farmers or producers did you say that you worked with?
Yeah, 125 this year and 138 last year.
So and 1.8 million was kind of the purchasing.
So that's a pretty, you know, that's local.
And I guess one thing, Mike, I know you were just talking about that, that for you maybe
describe your kind of how you've been associated with this program.
And you have, you really, you said this is really something that you've seen some economic
returns on it immediately and in the community a little bit.
Correct.
I mean, our spend now has been for two years with this program.
And we provide into a local food bank, we were able to hire, we hire 14 high school
and college kids that are local to us.
And that money stays local to our area.
It allowed us to hire a few more of those kids of that 14 and probably allowed us to
hire four or five more for the sales that we're going to have for this program.
And then the food itself stays local food bank that we provide into, I believe it's
32 different food pantries that they provide produce to.
So it's hitting Polk, St. Croix, Pierce, Pepin counties.
So it stays local.
The money spent from the state stays local to our area.
And the produce stays local to our area to help the underserved and needy people that
really need good quality produce.
And you've always emphasized your CSA serves mostly a rural kind of it's not you're not
going serving a big twins cities market or an urban market because you really feel like
that's where that food that people in rural areas need to eat good food as well.
Correct.
Jody and I started our farm with the idea that people in the rural community need good
food too.
And we focused on providing our food locally to us, not going deep into the cities for
shares.
I think we cross the river and a few shares in Stillwater and then the bulk of our shares
are in St. Croix County.
Do you have a rough idea what economic differences made to your farm?
Have you been involved with both years?
Yeah, like I said, it's allowed for us it's allowed us I know for at least four people
that we've hired extra to our farm because of this program to help bring in the produce
and take care of it.
And it's helped us as farmers because we've made the contracts in the fall, unlike CSA,
the contract cracks there for this and we know we'll have that sale.
Whereas CSA we don't know what our total sale is until May, sometimes June when we start
our deliveries.
That's a super good point you're able to because that's part of the reason I think I've talked
to you guys before about your CSA that was what drew to you is you can plan ahead.
So that spring time and late winter is a way to plan ahead what you're going to have to
produce and and what kind of market but this is pushing it even further.
With the fall.
Correct, correct in allowing us to budget for employees for the for the kids that we
hire and the adults that we hire that are local to our area.
It's just a wonderful program, the good produce fresh produce going to people that want it
and wait for it to come in.
Right.
So Rodrigo, you've kind of had a transition you you were maybe talk a little bit about
the transition on this farm you were focused completely on produce, you've tried CSA, you've
tried different marketing models.
Can you describe a little bit give a little background on kind of where you're at and
where you're at today a little bit.
We started this farm in 2008 and we really at the beginning we really focused on produce.
We at the beginning we we grow 60 70 different things but few years later we try we try as
the CSA for three years don't work for us then we just focus on wholesale on produce
then we have issues with climate change we get black rot and alternative in the ground
so then we we losing money a few years.
Right now we have a diverse farm we grow produce and we raise chickens, sheep and hogs.
I mean we see an economical impact in our farm in a positive way because we we we make
money that way and I think we try to simplify our operation just focus on chickens and I
think we have some connection with other companies and I think it's working it's working okay.
It sounds like the livestock's helped improve the soil health a little bit too it was pretty
worn out when you came here.
Yes a lot I mean we have few years we don't get I mean we don't buy any fertilizer so
we get every everything we need on farm so for us try to figure it out between food safety
and soil health and marketing development and I think it's very good for our farm.
So you're involved with the LFPA as well correct?
Can you describe a little bit how that's working for you what are you marketing through that
and how that's kind of working?
I mean markets marketing process for farms is very difficult I mean it's no matter what
kind of culture are the farmers but markets are tough so if we have more programs like
this I mean it's going to be even beneficial for the farmers I mean we need to encourage
the government to put more money on these kind of programs so that way more farmers
they can stay on the farms.
So how what are you marketing through LFPA right now and have you been doing it the last
two years as well?
Two years.
Okay.
Last year we sold produce tomatoes peppers winter squash onions and this year we're
going to we're going to sell pork too.
And is it are they coming to pick it up is that how that's working so that must be huge.
It helped me in many different ways try to figure it out about insurance about places
where we can butcher or hogs and all the helping us coordinate the shipments the people who
are going to pick it up the produce the time it's calls back and forth and really for farmers
is very beneficial these kind of programs for the succeed of the farms.
And do you have a rough idea of what economic differences made for you in the last couple
years?
Yes, it's way easier to try to focus on the production side instead to try to grow the
things or raise the things and then delivery and focus on all different stages on the production.
No it's for us for farmers is really really beneficial just to stay in the farm focus
on the production and then we can increase our production that way.
Have you increased production certain things because of the program?
Yes.
I mean last year they they buy 15,000 for us this year they're gonna buy 15,000 too.
So they they yeah this this year they're gonna get pork from us so we have more options to
sell our produce and or livestock.
So what percentage of your overall farm income would do you know roughly would that represent?
I think it's 20 percent.
And you don't have to worry about shipping it you know aggregating and all that?
Yeah everything is contracted everything is signed it so the only thing what we need to
worry is to do to produce that.
I've seen you speak a couple times and I know one thing you really emphasize and I know
you work with the Latino Economic Development Center where you talk to farmers I think all
across the country and in different areas and you really know how to push the pencil
on numbers.
You're like don't do farming unless you can make it pay.
So this must be part I know this isn't your this must be part of a kind of a array of
things you're trying to to really make this pay and because I know you you're willing
to drop an enterprise when it's not paying its way and that kind of thing.
Yes.
I mean the only way to keep farmer in the ground is to to make money.
If we don't make enough money what we're gonna do this we can find another thing to do.
So for me it's very important to to teaching the farmers or to let the farmers like if
you don't make enough money on this product don't do it.
I mean that's the only way to keep the happiest on the farms the farmers on the farms.
Do you guys want to talk about kind of the future of the program or?
As of right now the program will be ending June 2025 but as organizations we are definitely
trying to find different outlets and continue on working trying to find different funding
for the program to keep it going because it's such a great program.
But right now it's just providing our producers and partners with resources that they can
use in the future to build these markets and continue what they do.
What would you if anybody has any suggestions for if someone is looking at a program getting
a program like this started do you have any suggestions on how to get something like this
going or I mean I know that this is USDA funded but if there was different funding I don't
know you think about that?
I would say you know for food banks to look at what they have available and I know it's
very difficult they're operating on very small budgets and they're trying to get as much
food as possible out to people but fundraising around this effort of local food to local
families I think can be super beneficial and just get the now that this program's existed
and it's been for two years we can show the accomplishments we can show that we've moved
a ton of produce around the state and meat and tortillas and you know canned goods and
pickled goods and we can show that it's been all across the state that it's benefited producers.
Producers have dropped farmers markets because they've moved into this model and you know
that's just more time on the farm and that's what we have to do as a state as a country
as the globe right now is make it easier for farmers to farm.
So you know continue I think we can show the success of this program we can show that you
know purchasing local is beneficial for food banks it's just getting them the money and
you know the easiest way to do that is to run it through a program like this but if
they can fundraise around that effort if they can I've seen innovative models from CSA farms
that have asked their customers to donate and then they've been able to donate extra
boxes to food pantries and just you know kind of build out their marketing that way but
just to get the customers their customers involved in supporting farm to food access
I think can be very beneficial.
I would think just hearing you guys talk about this that there are these side economic benefits
in that drivers people who have to sort the food who have to process it if it's meat or
whatever that there's all these side economic is that something you guys have been able
to kind of toad up a little bit or is that still something you're trying to figure out
is just kind of how much of an economic benefit the side kind of the things that are the people
don't think about but you got to have that if you're going to have any kind of a local
food system kind of thing.
Yeah I don't think we've done really part of this program is we're doing evaluation
and we're going to be presenting these results so I think we'll try to gather some of that
but it's it's so true that agriculture has gone through so much consolidation and the
more we can have more enterprises doing this work the easier it is for farmers and the
more economic opportunity there is for the rural areas across the state so I think that's
huge that's a that's a another great thing that we've done in this program and looking
forward to looking at those results and sharing that.
It just seems like a real rural economic argument to me.
I had one last question about if you somebody could explain what the it's called the Wisconsin
Food Hub is what is is that a nonprofit or what is that entity or somebody can describe
that a little bit.
Yeah so it's a it's a cooperative so they have a board of directors started with some
farmers getting started up there they have routes across the state they work with other
aggregators as well and you know they don't bring food back necessarily and hold it for
a long time it's kind of coming in and then going out the door so it's been a huge huge
benefit to the program to have them picking up from the farmers and you know they're working
within other programs too like local local food to school and then they have some other
larger accounts that they're they're moving product through as well but just a great opportunity
for for small to mid-sized farms to to use their organization.
One one last question I always say one last question and I always think for Rodrigo and
Mike I'm gonna ask the same question I guess farming is really tough I mean just it goes
without saying and the economics don't get any any easier is a program like this that
kind of I guess is getting good food to local people and is is not just it is also returning
economic benefit to the community does that give you hope I mean that kind of if there's
people who are thinking about this kind of thing in that big picture way of how farming
can be this rural economic engine that's not just a thousand acres of corn and beans kind
of thing and how it can then benefit people who are actually eating you know and in the
rural community and maybe don't always have access to healthy food I mean does that give
you a little bit of a little bit of hope I guess?
Gives me a lot of hope actually the idea that people can access good local produce at a
fair price that was part of the contracting thing is we work together to set our price
so we got a very fair equitable price for our produce and the shipping all of the pieces
that we've talked about today help build and strengthen our food systems in this country
the fewer and fewer people making food the bigger and bigger the problem is going to
be we want more people producing food locally not less.
Rodrigo when you say words like black rot I think oh my gosh farming is really tough
but yeah you've had you you really are committed to farming I know you've really duked it
out here on the farm and you talked to a lot of farmers about some of the challenges out
there but you apparently believe in it but does this give you a hope a little bit of
a program like this?
Yes when we see I mean how much this government subsidy give subsidies for corn and soybean
growers I mean they need to put more money on people who grow food I mean it's for the
benefit of not just the farmer the community and in rural communities it's very difficult
to get really healthy food and we have a lack of that so we need to find a way to help in
I mean low-income families to get access to organic food natural food so if we have those
win-wins with these programs we need to focus on those on those kind of things.
That's a really good point I'm glad you brought up the corn and soybeans it's like why is
money going to this well look how much has gone into that.
I will tell my neighbors when we're sitting around you walk a mile in your fields and
I'll walk a mile in my field and we'll see who starves first.
People they need to understand I mean with COVID with COVID-19 we have a really a little
bit of what can happen yes if we don't figure it out what can be in the future COVID just
give us like a teaspoon of what it can be in the future if we are not prepared so that
thing give us space for thinking and for figuring it out and for fix that so when we talk about
talking about the relationship with farmers and the community I mean right now is the
time it's not tomorrow it's not next year it's now what we what we're going to do for
fix those problems.
For more on the local food purchase assistance program see the podcast page for ear to the
ground episode 360 at landstewardshipproject.org.
If you have comments or suggestions about this podcast contact Brian DeVore at bdevor
at landstewardshipproject.org or you can call 612-816-9342.
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