How to Track the Food Bank Money
Which 3 food banks got Mississippi’s USDA local food money, how much the records show, what the records do not show yet, and how to check it yourself. Updated Oct. 26, 2026.
Short version
In 2022, USDA gave MDAC a grant to buy food from local farmers and send it to food banks. MDAC reported sub-awards to 3 food banks. Federal records list $6,811,262 in sub-awards to them. MDAC reports that food purchases from 26 farmers and farmer cooperatives, valued at $1,418,471.56 in FY2024 and $2,337,136.60 in FY2025, were distributed through this program. The 3 food banks did the buying.
No source we reviewed says anyone misused this money. No source we reviewed says farmers were not told about it. Some records do not match each other, and some records are not public yet. We show both below.
The 3 food banks
USDA, MDAC and the federal award record all name the same 3. All 3 are nonprofit food banks affiliated with Feeding America.
| Food bank | Home office | Tax ID (EIN) | Sub-award reported | Date on the record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Food Network, Inc. | Jackson, MS | 64-0676325 | $4,018,644.58 | Feb. 5, 2024 |
| Mid-South Food Bank | Memphis, TN (serves north Mississippi) | 62-1340755 | $1,566,590.26 | Jan. 18, 2024 |
| Feeding the Gulf Coast | Theodore, AL (serves south Mississippi) | 63-0821997 | $1,226,027.16 | Jan. 18, 2024 |
| Total | $6,811,262.00 |
Source: USAspending AM22LFPA0000C031; MDAC Annual Report FY2025; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Checked Oct. 26, 2026.
A sub-award amount is what MDAC reported to the federal system. It is not proof of cash paid on a date.
The grant
| Field | What USAspending shows |
|---|---|
| Grant name | Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) cooperative agreement |
| Federal award ID | AM22LFPA0000C031 (listing 10.182) |
| Who got it | Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) |
| Paid by | USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) |
| Date signed | July 29, 2022 |
| Grant period | Aug. 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026 |
| Obligation shown | $3,998,762 |
| Outlays shown (money spent) | $6,817,526.48 |
| Sub-awards shown | 3, totaling $6,811,262 |
| How the split was set | The award text says each food bank’s share would be “based upon their level of funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program in their service areas.” |
Source: USAspending AM22LFPA0000C031. Checked Oct. 26, 2026.
Timeline from the record
- July 29, 2022
USDA signs the LFPA agreement with MDAC. USAspending - Sept. 22, 2022
USDA AMS announces it. Gipson is quoted: “We look forward to partnering with three Feeding America affiliated food banks to get locally produced foods into the hands of those that need it the most.” AMS release - Nov. 16, 2022
MDAC launch event at Mississippi Food Network in Jackson (reported). Daily Leader - May 2023
MDAC announces 2 farmer information sessions, in Batesville (May 10) and Hattiesburg (May 15). MDAC release (PDF) - Jan. and Feb. 2024
Sub-award dates for the 3 food banks on the federal record. USAspending - 2025
A second agreement (AM25LFPA0000C121) shows only negative obligations of -$7,105,158 and no sub-awards. The reason is not in that record. USDA told states in March 2025 that LFPA 2025 funding was cancelled (reported by Agri-Pulse and Politico). USAspending, Agri-Pulse, March 10, 2025, Politico, March 10, 2025 - March 31, 2026
The first agreement’s grant period ends.
Food purchases MDAC reported
These are the totals MDAC put in its annual reports. The 3 food banks did the buying. MDAC does not list each farmer or co-op by name in these reports.
Source: MDAC Annual Report FY2024; MDAC Annual Report FY2025. Checked Oct. 26, 2026.
Farmers who want to sell to the program used MDAC’s online producer form. MDAC producer questionnaire
Why the numbers differ
Different records count different things. Some count money promised. Some count money spent. Some count one year only. These are reconciliation differences, not findings of wrongdoing.
| Who said it | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MDAC press release, May 3, 2023 | “In 2022, MDAC was awarded $2.82 million” | MDAC release (PDF) |
| MDAC Annual Reports FY2023 and FY2024 | $6.8 million | FY2023, FY2024 |
| USAspending, obligation | $3,998,762 | USAspending |
| USAspending, outlays | $6,817,526.48 | USAspending |
| MS FY2024 Single Audit, listing 10.182 | $2,211,977 spent in FY2024 | OSA Single Audit FY2024 (PDF) |
Audits
Groups that spend federal money above a set yearly amount must get a single audit. We checked the audits of all 3 food banks in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC).
| Food bank | Audit and tax filings | Listing 10.182 in its own audit | Audit findings on LFPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Food Network | FAC, ProPublica | FY2023: $125,318 | No LFPA findings found |
| Mid-South Food Bank | FAC, ProPublica | $28,550; $259,370; $733,293 (FY2023 to FY2025) | No LFPA findings found |
| Feeding the Gulf Coast | FAC, ProPublica | $671,475; $468,278; $311,274 (FY2023 to FY2025) | No LFPA findings found |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse; OSA Single Audit FY2024. Checked Oct. 26, 2026.
Mississippi Food Network’s audits for FY2024 and FY2025 also list $2,308,496 and $2,527,809 under a different listing (10.179, “Micro-Grants for Food Security”). The pass-through entity is listed as “Mississippi Department of Agriculture” in FY2024 and “MS Department of Agriculture” in FY2025. Whether this is LFPA money: NOT CONFIRMED.
What the record does NOT show yet
- A second federal obligation that would explain why outlays ($6.8 million) are higher than the obligation shown ($4.0 million). NOT CONFIRMED.
- The signed agreements between MDAC and each food bank. Missing.
- How much cash each food bank got, and when. Missing.
- The names of the farmers and co-ops the food banks bought from, and how much each got. Missing.
- Pounds of food, meals and delivery sites. Missing.
- The FY2023 farmer purchase total. Missing.
- Each food bank’s IRS Form 990 government grant line and Schedule I for these years. NOT CONFIRMED.
- Whether the 10.179 lines in Mississippi Food Network’s audits are LFPA money. NOT CONFIRMED.
- A Mississippi-specific letter ending the 2025 agreement. Missing. (The national USDA notice was reported.)
- Farmer sign-up and attendance counts for the 2023 information sessions. Missing.
These can be asked for with a public records request. See the steps below.
What farmers have said (labeled)
MPB, July 13, 2023
At an MDAC listening session on a different grant (RFSI), a farmer said the paperwork was “so difficult that you have to go hire somebody to understand it.” An advocate said: “I don’t see the state of Mississippi really doing much for agriculture.”
MPB. This was about RFSI and federal programs, not the food bank grant.
Mississippi Free Press, April 24, 2025
A farmer who sold to Feeding the Gulf Coast through the program wrote that losing the 2025 money meant his farm might “have to stop farming.”
A 2026 bill to create a state Farm to Food Bank Program
HB 1367 (2026) died in committee on Feb. 3, 2026.
We searched news, MDAC reports and audits. We found no complaint, audit finding or report saying farmers were not told about these food bank grants. If you have a record, send it to us.
The other big grant: RFSI
MDAC also runs a USDA grant for farm and food buildings and equipment (RFSI). USAspending shows $6,235,682.34 obligated, $2,687,108.71 spent, and 0 sub-awards reported. USDA AMS separately publishes a project list with 45 Mississippi projects totaling $5,118,118. MDAC reported $2,176,503.63 reimbursed in FY2025.
Source: USAspending RFSI; AMS RFSI recipient data; MDAC Annual Report FY2025. Checked Oct. 26, 2026.
Follow the money yourself
How to ask MDAC for public records
- Write to MDAC. Find its current address and records contact at mdac.ms.gov. Say you are asking under the Mississippi Public Records Act.
- Name the exact records. Example: “The LFPA subrecipient agreements and amendments with Mississippi Food Network, Mid-South Food Bank and Feeding the Gulf Coast, award AM22LFPA0000C031.”
- Ask for the list of producers paid under LFPA, with amounts and dates.
- Ask for the quarterly and final performance reports sent to USDA AMS.
- Ask for a cost estimate first. Agencies may charge for copies.
- Keep a copy and the date you sent it.
Law: Miss. Code Section 25-61-5. To report misuse of public money, the Mississippi State Auditor runs a hotline at 1-800-321-1275 (OSA).
Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice. Check every deadline and condition with the agency before you rely on it. See our Corrections Policy. Got a fix or a record? Send a tip.
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