Pilot Program for the 2008 TEFAP Product Year
Hunger Solutions Minnesota (HSM) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) along with distribution partners, America’s Second Harvest Food Banks, are piloting a change in normal TEFAP distribution procedures effective with the 2008 TEFAP product year that began in October 2007. This change eliminates shared maintenance fees for the Minnesota agencies that are distributing TEFAP commodity products. The hope is that this will allow all agencies the ability to utilize and distribute these products.
TEFAP is the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program which guides products from America’s food producers to those in need throughout the country. Minnesota currently procures approximately $1.5 million dollars of products on an annual basis that are ordered through the USDA. On occasion, the USDA provides “bonus” products that are distributed through the same distribution channels as the regular TEFAP products. These bonus items are made available by the USDA for two reasons: either they are released to support commodity prices or they are available because of a surplus in the marketplace.
Unfortunately, the last couple of years have seen a severe drop off in bonus commodities and as a result there have been surplus administrative dollars to spend at the end of the product year. So we opted to try this pilot program for the 2008 TEFAP product year. Previously, Food Banks received 10¢ per pound from the state and 4¢ per pound from agencies for TEFAP product. Now, there will be no cost for the food shelves and the 14¢ per pound will be paid to the Food Banks by the state.
The drawback to this pilot program could come if we were to receive an abundance of bonus items in ’08. Thus far that does not look as if it will happen. However, should the unexpected occur agencies could see the shared maintenance go up to 14¢/pound at the end of the product year, August and September of ’07.
For more TEFAP information contact John Wollum at jwollum@hungersolutions.org or 651-789-9845/800-782-6372.