14-03-2025
How recent USDA cuts will affect West Virginia farmers
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — West Virginia farmers are bracing for impact after the USDA announced more than a billion dollars' worth of cuts this week, which eliminated funding to two programs. One of which would have given nearly $4,000,000 to schools to buy locally grown and raised food.
The two programs in question are the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement Program (LFSCC), which provides funds for schools and child care centers to buy locally grown food, as well as the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which provides similar funds to places like food banks.
The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) told 12 News in a statement that it was poised to receive $3,770,060 this year for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative program. That would have been divided between the school food budget, which would have received $2,727,150 and the child care budget, which would have received $1,060,910.
The statement read in part:
These funds represented 100% allocation for West Virginia products. There would not have been any overhead, administrative costs, or any miscellaneous costs. These are true dollars that would have benefitted West Virginia farmers.
This money was in addition to the standard meal reimbursements that schools receive. The Commodity Credit Corporation had been tapped many times since the pandemic to provide extra funds for school meals as they grappled with supply chain challenges and high prices– which of course continue now and are expected to increase.
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The WVDE was sent a termination notice letter by the USDA dated March 7, 2025, with the reason for termination being that 'AMS (Agricultural Marketing Service) has determined this agreement no longer effectuates agency priorities and that termination of the award is appropriate.'
The letter also said that 'Local Food for Schools (LFS) agreements that were in place prior to LFSCC will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.'
'Where you're seeing a lot of the frustration is this is really damaging because farmers have already invested their time and money into creating these products that now don't have a market so it could be potentially devastating to a small business,' WVU Extension Public Health Specialist and Director of SNAP-ED WV Kristin McCartney said.
It's still unknown how big of an effect this will have on local farmers who have relied on these partnerships, like ones with food banks, for years.
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