The bill aims to support Washington farmers and enhance food security by establishing two grant programs: the Washington farm donation grant program and the farm-to-food pantry grant program. The Washington farm donation grant program will focus on procuring locally grown produce, grains, dairy, and protein that are at risk of becoming food waste, and distributing them to hunger relief organizations. The program emphasizes the use of existing infrastructure, prioritizes organizations with significant experience in food distribution, and aims to provide equitable benefits to diverse food producers, including minority and vulnerable farmers. Additionally, the bill allows the department to adopt rules for implementation and requires recipient organizations to report on their project outcomes.

The farm-to-food pantry grant program is designed to strengthen community-based food systems by providing funding and support to nonprofit organizations that facilitate direct purchasing from farmers, producers, tribes, and food hubs. Nonprofit organizations receiving these grants will be responsible for issuing subawards to hunger relief organizations to establish wholesale contracts for purchasing seafood and agricultural products. Similar to the first program, this section also mandates reporting on fund usage and allows for the adoption of implementation rules. The act is officially titled the Washington farmers feeding families act.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 43.23.330
Substitute bill: 43.23.330