How missed emails caused Tennessee to lose $7 million to buy local food

• The federal Local Food Purchase Assistance program provided $8.2 million to Tennessee to buy local produce for food banks. • A follow-up program, LFPA Plus, could have brought the state an additional $7.2 million, but the Tennessee Department of Agriculture missed emails announcing the opportunity. • The state agency said it has taken steps to avoid missing out on federal funds in the future. Troy Smiley's family has farmed in Ridgetop, just north of Nashville, since 1805. It has gotten harder to be a small farmer in recent decades,...