29-03-2025
Food Bank of Siouxland facing challenges after USDA cuts
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The recent removal of two federal programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to impact not only local farmers and ranchers, but schools and food banks as well.
The USDA has cut more than $1 billion in funding for local food banks. KCAU 9 spoke with Food Bank of Siouxland Executive Director Jacob Wanderscheid to see what changes have had to be made for this year because of the funding cuts.
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'Over the next little bit of summer here, early spring, over the summer, the Food Bank of Siouxland will lose about 70,000 pounds of product,' Wanderscheid said. 'That represents about $140,000 worth of value to the food bank.'
With the Iowa Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program being cut, officials with the food bank say they will need to remove the majority of their protein products.
'We'll just have a little less choice, a little less fresh product,' Wanderscheid said. 'A lot of what's being cut is milk, eggs, cheese, a lot of that more expensive piece in their diet, which we really highly value. So getting it will be less choice for the residents that did seek food assistance.'
Wanderscheid said that this sort of issue is not new to them, but wishes they could have known a little sooner so they could be prepared.
'I think the biggest thing for us was just the swiftness of the cuts,' he said. 'Instead of saying this money had been allocated through this fiscal year during the summer, let that money still stay there and then plan that in the new budget for it not to renew. So the suddenness is the hard thing to kind of adjust to.'
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The Food Bank of Siouxland is currently making a plea to state officials to reinstate the Choose Iowa program.
'We have an ask to the Iowa state legislature to continue the Choose Iowa program that will essentially pick up where that program left, which will allow us to buy local produce and products from Iowans to give back to Iowans,' Wanderscheid said.
The Food Bank of Siouxland is also still looking for volunteers to help participate in the upcoming food drive.
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