USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has come out in favor of the Farmers to Families Food Box program, albeit with some tweaks.
“I think that I have been convinced that there are a number of areas — remote areas in particular — that have been served by this program where people have received fresh fruits, vegetables and other products that they might not otherwise have gotten but for the program,” Vilsack told Politico in an interview this week. “I like that aspect of what's happened with this program. I am a little concerned about the fact that there seems to be quite a significant difference between the level of reimbursement for people who are administering the program and implementing the program. That is a concern. At the end of the day, you want as many dollars going into the boxes, as opposed to into the pockets of the people filling the boxes. I think there needs to be an examination of that.”
In remarks Wednesday, Vilsack would not comment on whether the program would run beyond April. However, the effort has won the backing of key lawmakers like Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., further raising expectations the effort will be a part of the food/nutrition programs ahead.