OHIO — On Oct. 3, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks released a statement thanking Gov. Mike DeWine for advancing $15 million from the state's American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the Ohio Agriculture Clearance Program. 

The program works to bring the state's surplus of agricultural products through foodbanks to provide nutritious, Ohio-grown/raised and produced food products.

In the release, the association said the money would be used to purchase and distribute highly sought-after protein products for households struggling with inflation and rising food prices.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio Association of Foodbanks released a statement thanking Gov. Mike DeWine for advancing $15 million from the state's American Rescue Plan Act funds

  • The association said the money would be used to purchase and distribute highly sought-after protein products

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture would provide close to $2 billion in additional funding to food banks and school meal programs for purchasing American-grown foods

“We thank Governor DeWine for being at the table with us to hear from Ohio foodbanks about the tremendous need and why we need bold action like today’s announcement to make sure hungry Ohioans have the healthy wholesome foods, like Ohio-produced beef, pork, cheese, milk, eggs, chicken, turkey, lamb and more, on their plates each day," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

The state funding follows an announcement from the USDA in September, saying the U.S. Department of Agriculture would provide close to $2 billion in additional funding to food banks and school meal programs for purchasing American-grown foods.

“Food banks and schools are the backbone of our nutrition safety net, serving tens of millions of children and families,” said Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in a news release. “The Biden Administration understands that supply chain disruptions and high food costs have created uncertainties for these crucial partners, and we are committed to equipping them with the resources they need to keep communities fed, strong, and healthy.”

The federal funding, provided by USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, will be used in three ways: 

  • Nearly $1 billion to purchase food for emergency food providers like food banks
  • Nearly $500 million to expand the Local Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement program, through which 49 states, 33 tribes and four territories are already working to purchase local foods for their emergency food systems; and
  • Nearly $500 million for schools across the country to purchase food for their lunch and breakfast programs, bringing the total CCC investment in school food since December 2021 to close to $2.5 billion, benefiting the roughly 30 million students who participate in school lunch and 15 million who participate in school breakfast each day.

“Governor DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine have firmly demonstrated today that they will not allow Ohio’s kids, older adults, parents and caregivers, and workers to go without the balanced food they need to thrive," Hamler-Fugitt said in the news release. 

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