Latest news with #LocalFoodPurchaseAssistanceCooperativeAgreement
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Major USDA cuts cripple food banks, school food programs in North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina — At Riverside High School in Durham, North Carolina, the food is as fresh as can be because most of it comes from local growers. "We receive local shredded carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, because we feel that we need to support people in our own communities," Jim Keaten, who runs the nutrition program for Durham Public Schools, told CBS News. Keaten said the school district's produce comes from local growers under a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that was cut by the Trump administration. "Immediately, my thoughts were, what are we going to do?" Keaten said of his first response when he learned the program funding had been cut. "Because these are the funds we use to provide local foods to kids." In March, the White House cut two federal programs that provide just over $1 billion in annual funding to school districts and food banks nationwide. It slashed $660 million in funding to the Local Food for Schools program, and another $420 million to the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which goes to food banks and other local groups. The impact is being felt in every state, including North Carolina, where CBS News followed the trail of food and funds to assess the impact of the cuts. One of the growers providing food to schools is Pine Knot Farms in Hurdle Mills, about one hour's drive from Riverside High School. Linda Leach-Hughes, co-owner of the farm, said last year it sold $150,000 in produce to local schools. She calls the sudden loss of revenue "devastating." "If we do not have this extra income coming in to help local folks in the community, then we will have to lay folks off, we can no longer employ folks," Leach-Hughes told CBS News. Pine Knot Farms also provides produce to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Amy Beros, the food bank's president and CEO, said its share of lost aid from the cuts is now at about $2 million. "I don't understand," Beros said. "We're facing one of the worst hunger crises in decades, and now we're going to increase the need even more. The access to this food makes them not have to choose between the life-saving medicine they need and food for that month." The concern over who gets fed is especially felt by those who grow it. "How are you going to make America great again if you're taking food out of the mouths of babies, senior citizens, nursing homes, rehab centers, hospitals, all of these agencies that are dependent on federal dollars?" Leah-Hughes asked. "How are you going to make America great again?" E.l.f. Beauty calls Hailey Bieber an industry disruptor amid Rhode sale These 3 record breakers have one thing in common Reporter's Notebook: John Dickerson reflects on his spelling woes
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USDA cuts federal programs, affecting food banks and farmers
ACADIANA, La. () — With the including a program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement. It will drastically impact food banks and farmers who partner with them. Brandy and her husband Jarvis Fontenette are local farmers on Zoie's Farm, named after their daughter. They have been in partnership with for three years, selling thousands of pounds of vegetables and helping people that can't afford to purchase organic or fresh vegetables. 'With the hold and the freeze of these funds, we're looking at, by July, they can't guarantee that they're going to be able to buy from us anymore because those funds are being held now,' said Brandy. 'It's not guaranteed that they're going to get them back. So, we're working with local farmers and other organizations. Showing them how important this is, not only just to the farmers but to the community.' Jarvis worried without the funds the program would discontinue. This impacts not only farmers but also the schools and people who need assistance with healthy food. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'I think a lot of people just see the small picture and not the big picture, not the actual people that I've been affected. You can look at numbers and the bottom line, but when they ask you to see a person that's being affected and a person that can't feed their family because they don't have any food, that's the people that it's affecting and I think that they need to realize what kind of program it is and how it would be affected,' he said. Gabrielle Dubois, the agricultural and procurement specialist with Second Harvest Food Bank said the cut of the program was extremely disappointing. She said they have worked with over 40 farmers over the last couple of years and spent nearly six million dollars on local produce, protein, fish, shrimp and eggs. 'We're set to honor purchasing with our local growers until the end of June. With the funding cuts, we're not able to guarantee purchasing after July with these farmers. Had the program still been available, we would have been able to purchase for the next 30 months,' she said. Dubois said connecting the consumers to the grower has been life-changing for all parties involved. They have reached 23 parishes supporting farmers and growers. 'We're hoping that we either get this program back or we're hoping that we can get it back maybe in the farm bill so that it's not discretionary dollars and it can be just pulled any time,' she said. Despite being disappointed by the cuts, Dubois and Second Harvest Food Bank plan to continue supporting the community to the best of their ability. 'Our long-term strategy is to continue to work with farmers and to continue this technical assistance support and just procuring this local food,' she said. 'We will continue to use whatever discretionary dollars that we have to purchase this food. We need support from the community. So, your donations, they count. We can purchase local food from them. We have made these invaluable connections with farmers and ranchers across the state, and we can use that money to continue to purchase and support them in many ways.' Planting with faith the Fontenettes said they will continue to prepare to grow vegetables for the spring, hoping to continue their partnership for generations to come. If you want to support food banks and local farmers, call your congressman. Voice your opinions, to let them know that you want to support local growers. You can also send to Second Harvest Food Bank to help them continue moving forward. USDA cuts federal programs, affecting food banks and farmers 13 cited for turkey hunting violations during opening weekend 83-year-old Ohio woman fulfills lifelong dream of skydiving Rayne animal rescue expands with new surgical center Did you know? Missouri has an exact replica of DC's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's government cuts will stifle Florida food banks, expand hunger crisis
You'd almost think that a county known for its "Wall Street South" ambitions, its sky-high rents, eight-figure housing sales, and its high concentration of luxury automobile dealerships and potential Michelin Guide restaurants, wouldn't have a problem with feeding its less fortunate. Yet, it's a problem for Palm Beach County — unfortunately a growing one. Dubbed "wasteful spending," the Trump administration last month cut key federal programs that provide funding to allow food banks and schools to buy food from local farmers. That's right, "local" farmers. The abrupt cancellation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement, along with the department's Emergency Food Assistance Program sent tremors nationwide. The move was dubiously billed as way to cut federal spending, but it amounts to a $1 billion hit nationwide that food banks and pantries here in one of Florida's most affluent counties can't afford. Demand for food pantry services in Palm beach County has steadily climbed in recent years. Currently, more than 173,000 residents risk going without enough food every day, about a third are children, according to Palm Beach County Food Bank estimates. Someone — most likely individual and private donors — will have to step in and step up. Without additional support, the absence of any federal involvement will leave a devastating hunger crisis that will plague our county. "They're our neighbors, our children, our seniors," U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., told Palm Beach Post reporter Jasmine Fernandez when asked about the impact of the cuts. "Gutting food assistance now will only increase suffering and strain the very programs that are keeping people fed and hopeful." The timing could not be worse for any government cuts to food pantries and schools. High food prices, an ongoing problem according to food bank leaders, are only going up, thanks to Trump administration policies. Tariffs will impact prices at the grocery stores as imported fruits, vegetables and other popular items face mandated markups. This, on top of bird-flu impacted shortages on chicken and eggs, hasn't helped keep food prices down. Opinion: It's Donald Trump's economy now. Can you afford it? Let us know in our poll. The threat to other safety net programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides nutritional support to seniors, people with disabilities and other low-income individuals and families, also threatens to send displaced participants to food pantries. The crackdown on immigration hasn't helped either. American agriculture already faces a labor shortage in farming, animal production and processing. Threats of deportation has made that worse, threatening higher prices and likely spot shortages on grocery store shelves. Neither trend helps local food pantries. Pantries are already seeing rising demand for their services. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, administrators like Ruth Mageria of CROS Ministries in Lake Worth Beach have seen a 71% increase in people seeking food aid. Citing the area's high cost of living, Mageria told the Post: "People would rather make sure they have a rood over their heads. Then, they will come look for food assistance." Whatever the reasons driving people to food pantries, it's clear that they now lack a key tool in fighting hunger. The USDA grant programs were the bridge food pantries used to stock their shelves and help hungry families. The federal funds went to local farmers in a program that benefitted both agriculture and communities like the Glades. Opinion: I am not an economist. But even I know that Trump's tariffs are bad. At the moment, that resource is gone. Congress, of course could actually do its job and pass a farm bill that would have money to restore, if not strengthen the USDA feeding programs. Fat chance of that. The Republican-controlled House and Senate seem satisfied with either allowing the current administration to make inexcusable cuts and changes to federal programs, or simply passing continuing budget resolutions that stave off government shutdowns but not address ongoing problems. In light of that reality, the onus is on us, as individuals and local organizations, to pony up and address what is becoming a growing food insecurity issue. As the phrase goes: "No one will save us but us." This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Federal funding cuts hurt food banks, worsen hunger crisis | Editorial
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
$1 billion in USDA cuts trickling down to food pantry in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Local organizations are feeling the effects of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $1 billion cut in assistance. The cuts include $420 million to Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, a program that helps food banks, and $660 million to Local Food for Schools, a program that feeds hungry school children. At Murphy's Giving Market , a food pantry in Upper Darby that serves about 3,000 people a month, the cuts are starting to trickle down. "I'm extremely worried because a lot of our funding comes from the federal government by way of food banks," Desiree Murphy-Morrissey, the founder of the food pantry, said. "If they're cut and we already don't have food right now to feed people, how much less will we have then?" Murphy-Morrissey said 25% of her pantry's food comes from the food bank Philabundance. "Philabundance learned that over 85% of our TEFAP [The Emergency Food Assistance Program] food deliveries have been unprecedentedly cancelled for the remainder of the fiscal year," Elka Murillo, chief external affairs officer for Philabundance, said. "This is food that we had already ordered and were counting on receiving. Over $525,000 worth of food now lost." Tariffs on imports are another challenge facing hunger relief organizations. Murphy-Morrissey said most of the produce at her food pantry comes from Canada and Mexico. "Food prices are so high now, and with the expected tariffs, it's going to be even higher, which means we are able to purchase less," Murphy-Morrissey said. A third challenge is that Congress is considering cuts to programs that some food pantry clients use, like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Despite the uncertainty, volunteer Michael D'Angelo said families are grateful. "Everybody has been extremely appreciative," D'Angelo said. "Nothing but smiles in the midst of pain and hunger and struggle." D'Angelo is urging people to write letters to their representatives to voice support for the pantry, which is ramping up fundraising efforts. For now, he said he will continue his work of stamping out hunger.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How will USDA cuts affect Centre County? Food bank, others brace for unclear future
A Centre County school district, food bank and food provider are among those preparing for uncertain impacts after the Trump administration announced it will cut two federal food assistance programs. In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would cut more than $1 billion in funding for two programs: the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which allows states to purchase and distribute locally sourced food to feeding programs like food banks and pantries, and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, which provides federal funding to school districts to purchase food directly from local sources such as farmers and other suppliers. The pandemic-era programs were implemented by the USDA under the Biden administration with the goal of providing local, healthy food to those who needed it, and to build and bolster resilient local food and agricultural supply chains, according to the programs' websites. USDA has said the programs are a legacy of the pandemic, as the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency say they're slashing federal spending to reduce waste. The USDA gave a 60-day notification period after announcing the cuts, which would mean the programs would end May 6. Allayn Beck, the State College Food Bank's executive director, said that while the food bank doesn't directly receive funding from the USDA programs being cut, she fears the potential ripple effects in the community. 'I am anticipating that when the (Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement) program ceases to exist, the current options for fresh and local produce, dairy, meats — they're just not going to be available anymore,' Beck said. 'And that effect is going to trickle down too. I think that's going to be the case for any pantry that is purchasing local produce, meats and dairies.' As a result of the cuts, Beck expects less food will be readily available to distribute at the food bank. More food and monetary donations from the public will likely be required to meet the needs in the community. The State College Food Bank served a record number of individuals and families in 2024, and Beck only expects that to continue. 'Grocery stores are still going to be serving the same produce, dairy and meats that they always do, but as prices rise not everyone will be able to afford to get their goods there,' Beck said. 'While we can't say for sure yet, I'd ... think that we'll be seeing more and more people coming to the food bank for their goods.' During the pandemic, the community rallied around the food bank, Beck said, providing help when it needed it most. She's hoping for a similar, if not greater, level of support now. 'Because of the amazing community support we received back in 2020 we were able to keep our doors open, but I'd say that what we're dealing with right now is harder than back then,' Beck said. 'We're serving more people, food is more expensive, even running electricity to our coolers is more expensive. ... It's more expensive for everybody. I think that we need more help now than ever, especially with determining what's yet to come.' She aims to secure fresh and local produce, dairy and meat products from other sources if need be, although it has yet to be determined what that would look like. The effects of the cuts and concerns was a topic at a quarterly meeting with the directors of Centre County's other food banks and pantries, Beck said. Joe Arthur, the CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank — an organization that purchases and distributes fresh, local food other Pennsylvania food banks — said that with the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement cut, the organization is missing out on $1.8 million through 15 months, an amount that could supply 500,000 meals. 'We've been deeply concerned about the funding cut to the (Local Food Purchasing Assistance Cooperative Program),' Arthur said. 'It also means fewer resources for our local farmers, who supply the fresh, nutritious food that makes this program so impactful. This isn't just about meals — it's about families, communities, and our local economy.' Much like Centre County's food banks, State College Area School District Food Service Director Megan Schaper said that so far, the school district hasn't been directly impacted by the cuts. But when they take effect, she's unsure about the amount of fresh, local foods the district will be able to provide. 'To be fair, I guess (the program's funding) was extra money. Prior to the pandemic we never had those type of funds,' Schaper said. 'With the current reimbursement rates and what parents pay for meals, I'll still be able to buy food and have meals for students, but will I be able to have local food though? Maybe not so much. Buying from big factory farms is less expensive than buying from local — it stinks but that's how it is.' Moving forward, Schaper also anticipates the Trump administration making it 'significantly harder' for children to get access to free and reduced-cost lunches. Proposed spending cuts to fund Republican's tax bill include changes to how schools provide free and reduced lunch. The Community Eligibility Provision, which provides a school district's students with free lunches based on the percentage of the school's population that's deemed eligible for free meals through participation in programs like SNAP, is currently set at 25% but a Republican proposal would raise it to 60%. While SCASD does not currently participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, a school that does would see the cost of their students' lunches reimbursed by USDA through a reimbursement formula. 'That's definitely one of the hammers that we're waiting to see fall, and when it does, it's going to have a big effect on a lot of schools,' Schaper said. 'I mean, if you read Project 2025, they are not particularly interested in making school meals easily accessible to all students, which I find to be concerning and disappointing.' One of her other main concerns with the canceling of the two USDA programs is the havoc it could wreak among farmers, small businesses and other local food providers. 'I fear they might be on the worst end of these cuts,' Schaper said. The Happy Valley Meat Company, a large meat supplier to SCASD and around 150 other Pennsylvania schools, will likely be one of the businesses impacted by the cuts, although owner Dan Honig said he's not sure exactly how yet. 'Honestly, my business would not be feasible if it weren't for schools buying our product, primarily our ground beef,' Honig said. 'We're left with a few serious questions: What do we do to adapt to potentially less income? How do we prepare? I'd like to think that we provide an good enough service that the schools will still come to us without the additional funding, but we aren't even sure of that.' To retain relationships with some of his most important customers, Honig may start readjusting the delivery deals he's made with school districts to a rate that they can afford, with weekly deliveries potentially turning into monthly, and so on. Regardless of possible future delivery adjustments though, Honig said that the cuts alone deserve a call to action. 'If this is an issue you're truly concerned about, I'd say get up, reach out to your child's school district and tell them that you believe local is important,' Honig said. 'Tell them you want local, even if you recognize that there are cuts. Now is your chance say to your school district, 'this is what's important to me and my kids.' They should have better food — it's the fuel of their lives.' Late last month Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration objects to, and would be filing a direct administrative challenge against, the 'unlawful' decision to cancel Pennsylvania's agreement with the federal government under the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. 'Earlier this month, we received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the Trump administration had decided to cancel our agreement,' Shapiro said in a written statement. 'I've directed Secretary [Russell] Redding to immediately appeal the USDA's decision to unlawfully terminate this agreement and demand that the federal government honor their obligations under the agreement we signed just four months ago.' According to a news release, Pennsylvania's $13 million contract for the LFPA program supports 189 Pennsylvania farms and 14 food banks across the commonwealth. Shapiro is proposing a combined $8 million bump to crucial in-state food programs to be added to the 2025-26 state budget — $4 million to Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and $4 million to the State Food Purchase Program. The increases would see the total funding for the two programs sit at $34.6 million.
