USDA cuts programs sending Alabama-grown produce to schools, food banks
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Two federal programs that pay Alabama farmers to grow fresh produce for school cafeterias and food banks are coming to an abrupt end.
The now-canceled federal contracts poured millions of dollars into Alabama farms and put fresh foods into the hands of people who needed it.
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Fresh produce is a necessity for the people who visit food banks.
'It can really have a huge impact on you if you have the right nutritious food,' Food Bank of North Alabama CEO Shirley Schofield said.
Over the past three years, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program has brought more than a million pounds of produce from Alabama fields to the Food Bank of North Alabama.
'It definitely will have an impact on us in trying to decide how we're going to be able to replenish or replace the produce that we were getting from our local farmers,' Schofield said.
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The program's federal money has paid farmers more than $11 million to grow produce, and the 2025 contracts were expected to pay $5.6 million.
'That's going to be a big hit for our local farmers here in the state of Alabama, you know, that they're going to be feeling, especially since they've already purchased some of their seeds and other supplies that they need to grow the food that they were planning on using for this program,' Food Bank of North Alabama COO Joshua Matthews said. 'You know, further on in the summer months, in the height of the growing season.'
Another canceled program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, brought farm-fresh produce into schools. The federal money expanded a partnership the state had already established with Alabama farmers.
'We were actually having to go out to our growers, we have about 80 farmers in the thing, and ask them to grow, and say we guarantee we're going to grow this much and give it to the school system,' said Rick Pate, the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.
Pate said the farm-grown food was then sent to schools that needed it.
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'We could actually target underserved schools that had over 50% of the children on reduced lunches, so that was great,' Pate said. 'Now, we could come back and backfill the school systems that weren't taking advantage of the state program.'
Pate said his department is always looking for ways to support local farmers. While this year's program will not happen, those working at the Food Bank of North Alabama, said they hope to see similar programs created in the future.
'It's been a really great collaborative process, and we really believe that we need collaborative solutions to end hunger in North Alabama and across the entire state,' Matthews said. 'This program was a great example of how we can work together to accomplish that.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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