Federal funding cuts impact Central Illinois food banks, farmers
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Federal programs meant to support both farmers and food banks in Central Illinois are taking a hit.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) are no longer able to operate because of federal funding cuts.
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The USDA is ceasing reimbursements for any costs incurred after Jan. 19.
The LFPA, which started three years ago, gave federal dollars to organizations like the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to buy from growers. So, not only is it impacting food banks, but it's taking its toll on farmers, too.
'The access to nutritious food is extremely important,' said EIF President and CEO Kelly Daly.
EIF distributes millions of pounds of groceries across 18 counties through their mobile distribution program. Daly said they're not stopping anytime soon, but budget cuts are making it a bit more challenging.
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'This program has provided incredible support for a number of months,' Daly said. 'We will be sorry to see it go. We are looking at it and evaluating and will find new and creative ways to bring fresh fruits and vegetables on these mobile routes day in and day out.'
EIF received $1.2 million from the program this year. The money was used to buy proteins, specifically.
'[Proteins are] one of our most requested items and very popular on the food mobile distributions,' Daly said.
Although it's a hit, Daly said she always knew the money wasn't something to count on.
'We've always known that the program was not a permanent program, so we haven't relied on it for these distributions,' Daly said. 'We will continue to provide nutritious food on these food mobile distributions, regardless of how the funding from this federal funding programs flows.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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