Food box delivery to bring U.S. agriculture secretary to Westmoreland Fairgrounds
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will visit the Westmoreland Fairgrounds on Wednesday morning as pantry staples are delivered to area food banks in response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Perdue will be on hand as part of the federal Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The program is purchasing up to $3 billion in fresh produce, meat and dairy products from suppliers that have been significantly impacted by the pandemic-related curtailment of operations at restaurants, hotels and other food service businesses.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is partnering with distributors to package the food in family-sized boxes and deliver it to food banks and other local nonprofits that help those in need.
Schneider, Turner and Marburger Farm dairies are among area suppliers that are participating in the program.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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