SAN DIEGO — San Diego organizations are partnering with local farmers to reduce food insecurity, thanks to a federal program that provides funding.

Touching every piece of produce he grows is vital to Byron Nkhoma. 

He and his wife keep their 4-acre farm pesticide-free by pulling weeds by hand and using rich compost to keep plants happy. 

Hukama Produce used to sell exclusively at farmers' markets around San Diego County, which was unreliable when it came to making money.

"Our pool of customers was way smaller and in the end that means also very, very small revenue for us which means a lot of problems, financially and just on the day to day running of the farm," Nkhoma said.  

But these days, Nkhoma is struggling less and growing more, thanks to a national initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) gives federal funds to food distribution organizations that purchase local produce from farmers and then distribute them to community members in need.

Nkhoma says being able to grow and sell bulk orders has already doubled their profits.

"We are so happy with the program because we have larger sales, consistent and it keeps our farm alive," he said.  

Lety Rodriguez is the senior sourcing manager at Feeding San Diego, one of the county's leading hunger relief organizations. She says the grant money allows them to buy produce from farmers like Nkhoma that normally wouldn't fit into their budget.

"It is a little more expensive because they're producing at smaller volumes," Rodriguez said. "But because of this grant opportunity, we're able to buy local."

Feeding San Diego works with the farm cooperative Foodshed to gather all the locally grown produce they buy through the LFPA program. They have distributed to more than 1,300 households in San Diego County. 

Rodriguez says purchasing local produce over the next two years will inject thousands of dollars into the local food economy.

"It's a full circle," she says. "We can help our local growers thrive and, at the same time, give the most amazing farmers market type of product to our neighbors in need."

Nkhoma is thankful that farmers and the community can grow for now and have extra help.

"We need to create that balance. We need to keep supporting our small farmers for food security," he said. "We are growing to feed people; we are growing to feed San Diego."

The program will have funding for two years, and applications are now open to receive additional funding. Produce that has been distributed includes tangelos, beets, broccoli, cabbage, arugula, kale, kabocha squash, and shiitake mushrooms.