Focus groups, funding to support farmers facing discrimination

(Graphic: Mandy Coriston for Public Square Amplified. Source: USDA Census of Agriculture, New Jersey) 

Hillside – The Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) has been named as the lead organization to implement a $9.7 million Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) grant in New Jersey under the program name Jersey Fresh for All. The program connects what the USDA classifies as ‘socially disadvantaged’ farmers and producers to local food banks to provide fresh food in communities throughout the state. The New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative (NJFDC) and The Common Market join CFBNJ in administering the grant, which has been funded through the end of 2024.

How Can Farmers Get Involved?

This first year of LFPA funding is slated for outreach and evaluation of the scope of the program. The NJFDC and The Common Market are working on this arm of the project and are seeking input from farmers around the state, especially those who have faced discrimination and who have not previously been eligible for or allotted state or federal funding. In particular, the NJFDC needs farmers interested in participating in the Jersey Fresh for All program to attend paid focus groups, which will take place this fall and winter. The focus groups are largely in-person, some with virtual options available.

“We’re hosting focus group meetings for farmers up and down the state to share information about this opportunity,” said NJFDC founder and lead facilitator Jeanine Cava, “And for us to meet a core objective of this funding, which is to show the true diversity of farmers in NJ and better understand what their businesses need to thrive long term.”

According to Cava, the NJFDC’s additional role in the LFPA program is to assess the needs of New Jersey’s farmers who have faced discrimination and provide recommendations to the CFBNJ and the state Department of Agriculture on ways to continue to offer fresh local food to banks and pantries while supporting producers after the initial LFPA grant period has ended.

To this end, Cava encourages all farmers who fall under the USDA’s definition of ‘socially disadvantaged’, which is “any farmer or rancher who has been subject to discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program,” to self-identify as such. This will help the NJFDC provide support and guidance on the LFPA program and other resources. Farmers can do so by filling out this form, which is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. The NJFDC will use the form for the limited purpose of gathering contacts to participate in the LFPA and other funding opportunities.

An Opportunity for Black and Indigenous Farmers

The focus groups and LFPA are an opportunity for Black and Indigenous farmers, who are statistically New Jersey’s smallest demographics of farmers, to bring their needs and concerns to the forefront. While Black farmers have historic ties to the land and food, numbers are declining throughout New Jersey and the U.S. The most recent available state agricultural demographics, the 2017 Census of Agriculture, reported just 78 Black or African American producers, which is .79 percent of all farmers in New Jersey. That agricultural census also reported just 84 Indigenous producers, 177 Asian producers, and 390 Hispanic or Latino producers in the state, out of 9,883 total recorded farms. All farmers who meet the USDA criteria for discrimination are encouraged to apply for the Jersey Fresh for All program.

When Are the Paid Focus Groups? 

Focus groups begin in November and run through the winter to allow farmers to attend in the agricultural off-season.

(Graphic: Mandy Coriston for Public Square Amplified; source, New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative)

To RSVP for an in-person focus group, receive a Zoom link, or speak to an NJFDC representative about the LFPA Jersey Fresh for All program, farmers should email NJFDC@foodshedalliance.org or visit the  NJFDC website's LFPA page.

Who Does This Impact?

The LFPA program is supported by a funding agreement with the USDA and directly impacts farmers and producers who identify as and meet the criteria to be considered ‘socially disadvantaged,’ according to the USDA. Any farmer or rancher who has faced social and economic discrimination as described in the USDA definition is eligible to apply to be part of the LFPA Jersey Fresh for All program. If they qualify, farmers will be paid fair market value for their goods, which will then be distributed via the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and their partners throughout the state, including NORWESCAP, Fulfill, the Food Bank of South Jersey, Mercer Street Friends, and the Southern Regional Food Bank. These larger banks both distribute food directly and service thousands of smaller agencies, which will ensure that LFPA food reaches all 21 counties. 

“Not only will this benefit farmers, who will be paid for their goods, it also has multiple beneficiaries on the other end,” Cava said, “And it won’t just be fruits and vegetables; it will be seafood, meat, eggs, dairy— anything else farmers are producing, and it will all be local and fresh.”

CFBNJ reports that over 725,000 people in New Jersey are food insecure while leading national anti-hunger organization Feeding America puts that number at closer to 812,000. NORWESCAP alone distributes the equivalent of approximately 1.7 million meals every year, and the Food Bank of South Jersey distributed 18.5 million pounds of food in 2022.