Latest news with #LocalFoodforSchoolsCooperativeAgreement
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Federal food aid cuts will cause America's hunger crisis to skyrocket
The Daily Table, one of the largest food banks in Boston, recently announced it was closing its doors after serving more than 3 million people throughout the city over the past decade. The organization cited high food prices and an 'uncertain funding environment' as the main reasons. 'Without immediate funding to bridge us through 2025, we cannot continue,' read the group's farewell note to supporters. Pantries like the Daily Table across the country are struggling to stay open after the U.S. Department of Agriculture quietly cut $1 billion in 2025 funding back in March for food relief programs that have historically supported the nation's most disadvantaged communities. Specifically, the USDA abruptly slashed the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which supported food banks in addressing the growing hunger crisis in America. The agency also canceled the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, USDA-led initiatives that paid farmers and ranchers to produce the food that pantries and schools distributed to those in need. '[Funding] is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification,' a USDA spokesperson bluntly told Politico when the cuts were discovered. Food banks depend on federal funding to help those in need. The USDA cuts have hit these organizations hard, stifling their ability to fulfill their missions in West Virginia, New York, California, Maryland, Washington, Oregon and beyond. Three District of Columbia-area food banks have delivered 1.4 million fewer meals since the USDA action, and these numbers are certain to grow. The need for food banks has never been greater. According to the USDA's own data, over 47 million people resided in food-insecure households in 2023. Demand in Nebraska is four times greater than it was in 2018, while some food pantries in Texas are serving 25 percent more people today than before the pandemic. And in what may be the most troubling statistic of all, nearly half of the residents in Kentucky and Indiana face an impossible choice of either paying for food or covering their utility bills. The USDA actions were a potential blow to farmers — a constituency the Trump administration has vowed to protect. They also defy the Trump administration's 'Farmers First' agenda. 'The defense of the family farm is a defense of everything America has been — and everything we will be,' wrote USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins in announcing the imperative. 'It is my privilege to come to their defense.' Canceling these programs is a slap in the face to every farmer who relies on federal support to help vulnerable Americans receive the food they need to survive. These economic initiatives drive local agriculture and are a vital source of revenue, especially for small farm operators. The USDA cuts deepen the impact for those who already lack access to healthy meals. Before the USDA rollbacks began, nearly 10 million children were at risk of going hungry this summer due to states opting out of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. Eliminating federal support for food banks will make their untenable situation even worse. And if House Republicans move forward with a plan to decimate the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program in their proposed budget bill, the hunger crisis in America could become a full-blown emergency. SNAP currently helps 40 million low-income families afford groceries every month. The House bill, if approved, would gut the program by more than $260 billion over the next 10 years to help offset the Trump administration's tax cut proposals. The House GOP plan puts an added burden on states to make up the difference in SNAP support, many of which are financially strapped and won't be able to cover the funding gap. The USDA cuts come at a time when food prices are expected to rise 3.5 percent in 2025 alone due to recent tariff increases. They will have a 'significant and damaging impact' for millions who rely on these programs for food support, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and other U.S. senators have argued. Administration officials and members of Congress alike should heed the warnings from those on the front lines who run food banks and have seen firsthand the impacts the USDA cuts have had on their ability to address food insecurity in their communities. 'We've never before faced a situation like we are in now,' said Michael McKee, CEO of Virginia-based Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. '[The] need is well beyond any disaster or financial crisis that we've seen, and the government's response is to take food away.' 'This isn't about ideology,' he added. 'It's about math.' Let's have compassion for those with nothing to eat by restoring food programs that offer them nourishment and hope for a better future. Lyndon Haviland is a distinguished scholar at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal DEI threats are a tough lesson for Palm Beach County schools
What is the real lesson that the federal government is teaching students at the Palm Beach County School District when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion? Money talks and policy, no matter how much needed, just walks? It's clear that the Trump administration frowns on DEI policies and programs. Whether it's rolling back contracting goals with minority- and women-owned businesses, removing photos of distinguished Jewish graduates from a display case at the U.S. Naval Academy, or purging photos of the Enola Gay from the U.S. Defense Department because of, well, "gay." That anti-DEI sentiment has hit home as the Palm Beach County School Board, in an emergency vote, ended district DEI programs for fear of losing $300 million in federal funding. No more diversity goals in minority- and women-owned contracting, hiring or curriculum programs. No more data collection to determine how effectively the district is using its resources to help more than three-quarters of its students who aren't white. 'The threat was real': Palm Beach County School board to end DEI programs over objections We don't blame the School Board for this painful decision. We do blame a narrow-minded Trump White House for putting them in this position. Editorial: Florida Senate poised to pass legislation to protect state parks. Get it done. A federal judge in New Hampshire ruled to limit Trump's withholding of federal funds from schools that have certain DEI programs, but that decision isn't a nationwide pause on the policy. The cuts could move forward as the controversy plays out in court. In the meantime, money still talks and the harsh lesson of school budgets under the Trump regime continues to be taught. The district earlier this month got bad news that it could lose up to $47 million in state revenue as state lawmakers consider cuts to popular college and career coursework like Advance Placement and industry certification programs. The fact that those cuts are coming at a time of dwindling public school student enrollment isn't helpful. State funding follows students. The fewer the students, the less money Palm Beach County and other school districts have to work with. Editorial: After FSU shooting, will we repeat our cycle of anguish, anger and inaction? The Trump administration already cancelled the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement, which provides funding to local farmers to provide food to school districts. Now comes the threat of more federal cuts, amounting to another budgetary body blow the district simply can't afford. The district needs every dollar it can get to assist schools with significant numbers of low-income students, educate special needs students and train teachers. The money has to come from somewhere. If not the federal government, the Florida Legislature, then locally in either higher property and sales taxes. Or, residents could sit back, grumble and just tolerate deep cuts to school services that will affect the district's bond rating and overall status for quality education. Money talks. Principled programs that are key to a child's education? Not so much. That's a lesson Palm Beach County school students shouldn't accept. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County schools end DEI effort for money's sake | Editorial
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
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana kids, farmers lose funding as USDA suspends farm to school grants for 2025
Another federal program meant to help deliver local fresh produce to students is being delayed after funding for this year's Farm to School grants was suspended. The United States Department of Agriculture alerted schools last week that fiscal year 2025 grants for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School program had been canceled, preventing millions of dollars from flowing to local school districts or local agencies across the country. The yearly competitive Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program was started in 2013. Last year Indiana received close to $179,000 for three projects, one being a school garden initiative at PilotED Schools at Bethel Park Elementary in Indianapolis. In an email from the USDA press office, it said that the fiscal year 2025 grant process, which was developed under the Biden administration, 'included scoring criteria inconsistent with President Trump's Executive Order.' It did not specify what scoring criteria are at odds. The statement also said the USDA would not move further with this year's grant process and instead carry over this year's funds to next year's fiscal cycle. Funds from last year's cycle are available for previously qualified schools until they are spent, the USDA said. More funding cuts: How USDA's budget cuts will affect Indiana food banks and school food programs This announcement comes soon after the USDA announced a cut to its Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement program that also provided local farmers funding to help deliver produce to schools. The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is meant to help in planning, developing and implementation of farm to school program with the goal of 'connecting school-age children and adults to their food sources through nutrition education, school gardens, and local food procurement,' according to the National Farm to School Network. Since 2013, the program has awarded $100 million for a total of 1,275 projects. In fiscal year 2024, the USDA awarded a record amount of funding for the grant program, $14.3 million, to schools across the country, impacting an estimated 1.9 million students, according to the USDA website. One local school being affected by these cuts is Purdue Polytechnic High School, a charter high school that has two campuses in Indianapolis. Shana Cash, the director of Health and wellness for Purdue Polytechnic told IndyStar that they had applied for a $50,000 Farm to School grant that was meant to help their Englewood campus with its urban farm operations. Cash said the funding would have helped them purchase equipment like a walk-in cooler, that would store the food produced on their school farm and integrate the locally grown food into the school's nutrition program. Recent Ed News: Indiana property tax caps hurt school funding, study finds, as lawmakers mull new changes 'In a school where nearly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the importance of providing access to fresh, healthy meals cannot be overstated, particularly given the food insecurity many families face,' Cash said. Karen Spangler, the policy director at the National Farm to School Network, which works to provide more education to children about food systems and supports delivering more locally grown food to students, said that the USDA funding is one of the only dedicated funding sources for farm-to-school activities. At a time where everything is more expensive for schools and farmers, Spangler said, having this funding suddenly taken away adds another layer of difficulty for these local schools and farms. Keep up with school news: Sign up for Study Hall, IndyStar's free weekly education newsletter. Spangler said that even if the funding does come back in 2026, there is a cost to losing the momentum for these projects. 'Losing the time to plan and obviously for people like farmers, they were already planning for and investing in things for their season for a harvest that they may not be actually delivering until September,' Spangler said. 'Schools also have a super long time frame for purchasing for school projects.' Since 2013, Indiana has received around $2.4 million in farm-to-school grants, according to the National Farm to School Network's dashboard. Contact IndyStar K-12 education reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@ Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana schools face setback as USDA suddenly halts farm to school grants
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Feeding Tampa Bay fears losing millions of meal distributions if more USDA funds are cut
The Brief Feeding Tampa Bay fears any more cuts in USDA funds will stop their ability to distribute meals to people in need. Feeding Tampa Bay supplies almost 100 million meals to 350 community partners. They say people struggling tend to buy more unhealthy food and meals. TAMPA, Fla. - The president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay fears his non-profit will lose access to fresh and healthy food options and millions of meal distributions if there are more cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. The USDA recently cut the LFPA, or Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement, which allowed food banks to buy food from local farmers for distribution to food pantries. It amounts to four million meals a year for Feeding Tampa Bay, which supplies food to 350 community partners. What they're saying "An organization like ours will distribute probably close to 100 million meals this year, so it's not an insignificant sum," said Thomas Mantz, the President and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. "There's probably another 15 million meals that come through the TEFAP Program that would be at risk if those funds are cut." TEFAP, or The Emergency Food Assistance Program, distributes nutritious food to food banks. "When a family is struggling financially, they tend to buy greater quantities of unhealthy food because it tends to be cheaper," said Mantz. "The great value of these commodity programs is they provide good, fresh healthy produce that a family might not normally get." Local perspective Mantz says families across Tampa Bay are already struggling to manage budgets. 55% of their monthly income is spent on transportation and housing alone, so adding food becomes a significant burden. READ: White House to pause grants for Planned Parenthood, others: report "The idea that there are less resources coming into the community to help those families is going to be difficult for us to manage," said Mantz. "We understand decisions get made for a variety of reasons, but we want to make sure that folks understand the impact of those decisions." There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. According to Mantz, the state is considering a Farmers Feeding Floridians program in its upcoming budget, which should help food banks provide fresh, healthy food for families. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube How much the program will help make up the difference is currently unknown. What's next Mantz says he's also concerned about potential cuts to the SNAP Program that allows people to get groceries. If you're struggling with food or resources, visit Feeding Tampa Bay's website to find food assistance in your area. The Source FOX 13's Carla Bayron collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
