Pre-eligibility Information for USDA Foods 

There are four programs within the Commodity Opearations Section: three USDA Foods Programs (Food Distribution Program (FDP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).

The FDP, TEFAP and CSFP are USDA federal programs designed to improve the nutritional quality of the diets of program participants, and support agriculture through price supports and removal of food surpluses.

The SFMNP utilizes farmers to increase seniors consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and provide opportunities for farmers to sell their produde locally.

Food Distribution Program

Public, charter and private schools as well as residential child care institutions (RCCIs) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to receive an entitlement dollar amount of USDA Foods based on the number of reimbursable lunches served during the previous school year multiplied by the federal rate of assistance per meal.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors are entitled to receive USDA Foods if meals are prepared on-site or by a school food authority (SFA). You cannot receive USDA Foods if meals are purchased from a FSMC, unless the sponsor is a SFA that contracts with a FSMC in the SFSP. SFAs participating in the NSLP/School Breakfast Program (SBP) can apply to participate in the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and use the USDA Foods received during the school year for the SFSP.

Food processing companies with national and/or state processing agreements may be eligible to receive and convert a USDA Food as an ingredient in the production of a finished end product on behalf of a participating NSLP contracting entity.Food storage and distribution companies and other comparable organizations may contract with TDA to store and deliver USDA Foods to participating NSLP and SFSP contracting entities.

TEFAP

TEFAP reduces hunger in Texas by distributing, through local food banks, a portion of the United States agricultural surplus to low-income households, unemployed individuals and organizations that serve meals to low-income persons. You may be eligible to participate as a TEXCAP contractor if you are a non-profit organization or a public agency and have an establised network for food distribution within the state.

CSFP

The CSFP helps improve the health of persons 60 and older with distributions of nutritionally balanced USDA-donated food. The program is currently only available to residents in Dallas, Dimmit, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kinney, Maverick, Starr, Val Verde, Webb, Zapata, Cameron, Willacy, Bexar, and Harris counties. You may be eligible as a CSFP contractor if you are a non-profit organization or a public agency.

SFMNP

You must demonstrate adequate administrative and financial responsibility to manage an efficient and effective distribution system to be considered a potential SFMNP contractor. Consideration will be given to the poverty level of seniors and the number of certified farmers markets in the selected geographical contract area, and to the organizations best suited to make maximum use of the caseload availability.

While participation in some of these programs is limited, if you are interested in any of these programs and believe your organization or company is eligible to participate, please contact the Commodity Operations Section at commodityoperations@texasagriculture.gov or (877) TEX-MEAL.