JVI Welcomes USDA’s Greg Ibach to CFAP Food Box Program Production Floor

Today the JVI team welcomed USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach to our facility.  Mr. Ibach and his team joined President John Vena and Director of Marketing Emily Kohlhas for a tour of the production floor where we are packing mixed fresh produce boxes for the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Farmers to Families Food Box program.  Mr. Ibach and his colleagues were instrumental in the development of this program, which was fast-tracked to launch within weeks of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to meet rapidly growing need.

The CFAP Food Box was created by the USDA with a number of goals in mind.  The primary goal of the program is to provide free, fresh food to those in need — but it was also designed to support American growers and food producers who have unexpectedly lost business due to COVID-19-related restaurant closures, as well as bolster work in foodservice distribution, which has also been severely impacted by closures.

JVI has been working with a host of domestic growers and a team of committed packers to create approximately 10,000 boxes every week.  Each box contains a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, including staples like Idaho potatoes and Washington apples, as well as some seasonal additions such as California avocados or Georgia peaches.

Our boxes are distributed to food pantries and other community agencies in the Philadelphia region by Share Food Program, one of the city’s major food banks.  All USDA CFAP Food Boxes are distributed free of charge to anyone in need – no questions asked.

The whole team at JVI is very thankful to Mr. Ibach and the USDA for the opportunity to participate in this unprecedented program and serve our community during this challenging time.  Thank you to Mr. Ibach and team for taking the time to visit!

Scroll for an inside look at Mr. Ibach’s visit: