Latest news with #LocalFoodforSchoolsProgram
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana officials lament loss of USDA money to help schools, food banks buy from local farmers
Lance Cheung/USDA photo Louisiana lawmakers are asking Congress to bring back a $1 billion federal program that allows schools, child care programs, and food banks to purchase locally grown produce and protein. The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, both administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, were axed in March as part of the Trump administration's move to reduce federal government spending. Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said some small and mid-sized farms had already started planting and planning for their crops to be bought by schools or food banks through the defunded initiatives. '[If they are lost], it would be detrimental for the schools, it would be detrimental for those small farmers because they really rely on this,' Strain said. Louisiana will lose out on more than $18 million from the food-buying programs over the next three years, according to federal data. State Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, authored Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 to urge Congress to put the funding back, specifically for schools. McMath is championing bills focused on the Make America Healthy Again movement to banish ultra-processed foods from school lunches. He said he believes local purchasing programs can help get healthier food options on children's lunch trays. In a state Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Wednesday, Strain mentioned examples of Louisiana businesses taking a hit from the federal program cuts. Harris Cattle Co., a Ville Platte business, sells $380,000 worth of meat to nine school districts. Another farm sold $7,000 worth of okra to area schools, the agriculture commissioner said. 'Instead of using processed foods, we want food from scratch. We want fresh okra, we want fresh broccoli, we want fresh corn on the cob. That is what we are looking for,' Strain said. Strain said he has been in direct contacted with members of Louisiana's congressional delegation to make them aware of the impacts from the USDA spending reductions. U.S. Rep. Julie Letlow , R-Louisiana, sits on a House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture that met Wednesday to discuss the proposed federal budget. More information about the reorganization of the USDA is anticipated to be released in the coming weeks, which could mean a chance for the funding to return in some capacity, Strain said. The Local Food for Schools Program began in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden Administration. A USDA spokesperson told Politico the programs 'no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.' Local Food Purchase Assistance agreements in place prior to 2025 renewals were set to take effect, will remain in place for the remainder of their agreed-upon terms, according to the USDA. McMath's resolution does not specifically ask for food bank funding to be returned, but Feeding Louisiana executive director Pat Van Burkleo said he'll work with a legislator next week to make that request. The latest USDA cuts come at a very inopportune time, as the Trump administration is also slashing the Emergency Food Assistance Program. 'We can't make up what the federal government cuts for food banks. We can ask for help, but it doesn't make it up,' Van Burkleo said Feeding Louisiana represents the state's five regional food banks, which cover all 64 parishes. The group is spreading a petition to gain the attention of Gov. Jeff Landry to get his support for calling on Congress to restore the funding. Their goal is 500 signatures by next week. As of Wednesday, the count was already over 260. Van Burkleo said losing this funding not only harms schools trying to serve healthy foods, but also small farmers who often work multiple jobs without avenues to sell their produce on a greater scale. 'It is a great program designed to help the small, underserved minority farmers in rural communities. They have never had this opportunity to get this kind of dollars,' Van Burkleo said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local food growers in Wisconsin hit hard by Trump cuts
Stacey and Tenzin Botsford at Red Door Family Farm in Athens. STEVENS POINT – Red Door Family Farm in Marathon County will probably survive the Trump administration's latest punch – the failure to honor grower contracts that supported schools, pantries and also boosted local foods in grocery stores. But the owners of Red Door aren't so sure about some of their fellow local food growers. The administration recently eliminated the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the related Local Food for Schools Program, and in the process reneged on funds already committed for this year, leaving almost 300 farmers across the state holding the bag, or, in many cases, the seeds. At Red Door, owners Stacey and Tenzin Botsford won't be planting the carrot seeds they ordered. 'It would be bad business for me to do that,' says Stacey. 'Some seeds are already planted, all the onions are, but there's no reason for me to plant all those carrots.' Like many other local growers, Red Door actually raises food that people eat. They're the farmers you know at farmers markets all over the state. They're also the farmers who help stock super markets with local foods. And, until now, they provided nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables to food pantries and schools. What gets under their skin, Stacey Botsford says, is the arbitrary and capricious cutoff of funds already committed, funds that many farmers were promised and that caused many to invest in infrastructure and hire employees. 'The part that really bothers me is, if next year they said, 'We don't value that program,' that's fine, but you can't break the contract everyone signed. Now I can't trust government contracts anymore. I cannot imagine the widespread mistrust of government from this.' Red Door is probably diversified enough to weather the loss of up to $50,000 in anticipated income, but on a recent chilly spring day, rather than planting carrots, Stacey was searching for new markets. She says she's angry and heartbroken about the impact on other growers, including many Hmong farmers who invested in hoop houses and in some cases greenhouses based on projected income. 'Greenhouses, you don't own one unless you have enough to fill it. Heating those suckers is a lot of money. The LSP people were encouraging all the Hmong to build hoop houses and greenhouses. Those are huge investments.' Local and regional foods are mainstream in most parts of Wisconsin and across the country these days. It's been a success story of remarkable growth in the past few decades, built on the backs of farmers, many of them young, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Some government assistance was available for hoop houses and other improvements, but for the most part, the growth was organic, from the ground up, without commodity payments or other government support. And while the local food programs were buffeted by the recent breach of contract, large commodity growers got a big boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buffer them from the impacts of the Trump administration tariffs. USDA recently announced it will provide $10 billion in direct economic assistance to agricultural producers through the Emergency Crop Assistance Program EECAP for the 2024 crop year. The local foods programs were projected to cost $1 billion nationally. The payments to commodity growers, notes Botsford, will reward farmers not to grow crops like corn and soybeans. 'Government has always subsidized farms. We've been subsidizing farmers for years – all the commodity crops – and now they're paying farmers not to grow crops,' while local commodity growers take their losses, she said. 'So, they're making it impossible to sell what you've committed to and giving conventional farms $10 billion not to grow.' Red Door and hundreds of other farms rely on the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative in Waupaca to source and transport their produce. The Food Hub Cooperative is a farmer-owned business supporting the local food system. Tara Roberts-Turner, general manager of the Food Hub, likened the suspension of the programs and promised funding to a natural disaster. 'This almost happened as fast and as crazy as a hailstorm. It pulls the legs right out from under you, and you're left saying 'Whoa, did that really happen?'' she says. The Food Hub serves more than 400 Wisconsin farmers, providing transportation and distribution services, along with other grower assistance. Under the LFPA program and its committed funding, the cooperative rented trucks, expanded staff, and coordinated with farmers for supply in preparation in 2025. The food hub and its growers are working to get the program restored, but there have been few good signs. 'If the LFPA is not restored, years of building the local farmer-to-market infrastructure that the Food Hub Cooperative has built for farmers with government investment will be completely thrown out the window,' says Turner-Roberts. The cooperative and farmer members are all businesses, Roberts-Turner says. They have business plans, investments, overhead and bottom lines. The programs eliminated by the Trump administration were built on other government efforts to support local food security, she adds. That was an investment in local businesses and communities. 'If you were to look at this from a business perspective, they would realize it's not a very sound decision. They lose all the investment they put in and cut off a bipartisan plan to make the state's food systems more stable. I think back to when these programs were kicked off, and it was supported by both sides of the aisle,' she says, adding that their farmer members span the political spectrum. And it's not just food pantries and schools. Supermarket chains like Kroger, Roundy's and other grocers buy local foods produced across the state. 'Food Hub growers supply over $3 million of produce to larger grocery stories and grocery distribution in the state,' Turner-Roberts says. If the growers don't survive, local foods will dissipate. 'We're shipping to them year-round, everything from potatoes and apples to crops like zucchini and yellow squash,' she says. 'The local Piggly Wiggly here (in Waupaca) has always been about supporting local. The premise is everyone knows this is important, right? When you ask farmers to buy seeds and implements and hire employees and then cut them off, it's going to make them less likely to participate in those programs. These farmers are members of their communities, but they're also business people.' Like cooperative member Stacey Botsford, Turner-Roberts says it's a heartbreaking time, even as spring planting is under way across the state. Are there any positives? U.S. Sen. Cory Booker has sponsored legislation to honor farmer contracts. 'We have not seen any Republicans who have signed on to that,' Turner-Roberts says. 'I find it curious. The food hub is not a political program. Food is not political. It's not just farmers we're worried about. We're two to five years into a seven-year project we have with a bunch of partners in state that have basically created middle-of-the-road infrastructure to sustain ourselves as a state, whether it's schools, pantries, whatever. What this means is that, next emergency we have that threatens our ability to feed ourselves, we'll have to start all over. In Wisconsin, Meanwhile, at the Food Hub, 'We've got truck leases three years out. We have to sign leases and find a way to pay for them and hire staff.' The food hub has farmer cooperators in all 72 counties in the state. As Botsford at Red Door notes, a lot of them are left scratching their heads. 'Margins are so narrow in farming, you don't plant $50,000 in food and not have anywhere to sell it,' she says. 'I'm talking to distributors all over the U.S., in the southeast and in bigger cities. There's a fairly significant food shortage coming, with the California fires and people who work on farms leaving because they're scared. People are concerned about the price of food.' These days, she's working with neighboring Amish farmers. 'I tell them I will sell their food and take a cut.' Those neighbors don't have coolers for food storage, but Red Door does. 'I say, 'I can move your food, and I have a cooler, so bring it to my house and put it in the cooler.' I feel very responsible to help these folks … these people need to sell their produce.' Tenzin Botsford is on the board of directors for Neighbors Place, a Marathon County nonprofit that was established in 1989 by several churches trying to address needs in the community. 'They don't know what to do now, how to make up the difference,' Stacey Botsford says. Red Door does cooperate with Cattail Organics, a neighboring farm, to supply farm-to-family food boxes through the Hunger Coalition, operated by United Way in Marathon County. But the past few weeks have been rough. 'The seeds are already in the ground for a lot of the producers. We are diverse enough to pivot, but I am concerned with the smaller farms, especially the Hmong farmers in our area who were encouraged to expand, make investments, and put all their trust in this one basket of eggs. My heart is breaking for all the families who will not get the produce and I'm perplexed at how starving the poor of nutrition and gutting the farmers who are producing food is going to propel the country in a positive way. It's not good on such a big scale.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 million pounds of WA food at risk as federal cuts loom
The Brief Food banks in Washington are bracing for federal budget cuts, which could result in the loss of 7 million pounds of food. Food Lifeline, which serves 300 food banks across the region, is calling for community support. SEATTLE, Wash. - Local food banks are bracing for the impacts of federal budget cuts that could result in the loss of 7 million pounds of food. Food Lifeline, which serves 300 food banks across the region and provides assistance to 1.7 million people, is calling for community support as critical programs benefiting tribes, small producers, schools, and low-income families face potential funding reductions. Last year, Food Lifeline distributed 70 million pounds of food. The anticipated federal cuts represent a 10% decrease in resources, a loss that would significantly affect food distribution efforts. Mark Coleman, a spokesperson for Food Lifeline warns severe consequences for families already struggling with food insecurity. "These new cuts are devastating," Coleman said. He says these new cuts are going after programs they've been working with for the last four to five years. As quickly as food arrives at Food Lifeline, it is packed and shipped to smaller food banks throughout the region. The demand for food assistance has only grown since the pandemic. "We thought the numbers would go down, but they kept going up because of inflation and supply chain issues," Coleman said. By the numbers According to Food Lifeline, one in eight families in western Washington relies on food banks. The organization warns that cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's budget will erode this safety net. The cuts total about $1.9 million in lost funding which the food bank says will affect key programs, including the Local Food for Schools Program, which provides Washington state with $660 million to purchase fresh, healthy food from local farmers for schools and childcare centers. "Most kids that receive free or reduced lunches, that's their only hot meal during the day," Coleman added. "The bottom line to all of this is that it's going to be families in western Washington who suffer." The ripple effects of these budget cuts not only threaten food banks but also the local farmers who have expanded their operations to meet increasing demand. "Those farms have grown, they've increased their capacity, and now they're not going to get paid for that food, so they're putting our farmers in a bit of jeopardy as well," Coleman said. Another $500,000 is being cut from TEFAP, a federal program that helps distribute food to low-income communities and $500 million from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, both of which help food banks source fresh, local produce. The Food Research & Action Center warns that proposed policy changes could strip free meal access from 475,000 Washington students, pushing even more families to food banks. The financial setback comes at a time when food bank visits are up by 20%. "What does hunger look like?" Coleman asked. "The truth is – it doesn't show." He pointed out that many of those seeking assistance are working families struggling with the rising cost of living. "The majority of them today are families that were just getting by before, before eggs were $7 a dozen, before gas was $4.75 a gallon," Coleman said. What's next Food Lifeline fears that funding cuts will continue, especially as Washington state faces a $12 billion budget shortfall. "If there are cuts to the state budget, it's going to affect this food safety net. It's going to affect school programs, senior meal programs," Coleman said. Despite the setbacks, Coleman says Food Lifeline will do it best to recoup the lost funding through other channels. "We always want to make sure we're there when people need us," Coleman said. That's why they need your help. "Volunteering is critical of us," Coleman said. "It takes us about 15 to 16,000 volunteers every year to sort and repack the donated food that we receive." We're going to do our best to make up that difference," Coleman said. "We're gonna we're gonna find donors, we're gonna work with foundations and other sources to bring that money back in. But right now, it's kind of devastating" Want to help? Donate at or for volunteer opportunities visit Food Lifeline. The Source Information in this story is from Food Lifeline, the Food Research & Action Center and FOX 13 Seattle reporting. Teen accused of Spanaway house party murders held on $2 million bail Deputy police chief of Tacoma fired after investigation Third measles case confirmed in WA, health officials warn of possible exposure Richard Sherman's WA home robbed by armed men, deputies confirm Seattle's 'Cake ATM' has customers lining up for sweets To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USDA cuts impact Minnesota schools, child care centers
An agreement expected to provide approximately $13.2 million to Minnesota schools through the Local Food for School Program, also known as farm to school, has been rescinded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to state officials. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ending two pandemic-era programs that provided funding for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers, the Associated Press reported. The programs provided more than $1 billion to its recipients nationally, with about $660 million of that going to schools and childcare centers to buy food through the Local Foods for Schools program. A separate program provided funding to food banks. The state Department of Agriculture was informed last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that a previous agreement made in January will be terminated. None of the $13.2 million has been awarded so the number of farmers or schools that may be impacted is not available, according to state officials. The state's Local Food for School Program previously was awarded $3.45 million, with 114 awards given to both public and private K-12 school districts throughout the state in 2023. Those schools purchased unprocessed or minimally processed foods from 487 producers. At the state level, the MDA received approximately $2.43 million for its Farm to School program for 2024-2025. Gov. Tim Walz's budget proposal for 2026-2027 calls for $2.59 million to be allocated for Farm to School. Still, the state will not see the federal support it expected, state officials said. 'At a time when more Minnesotans than ever can't afford the food they need and farmers are on the frontline of a trade war, it's beyond frustrating to see these critical farming and nutrition programs being canceled. We will continue to work within our current programs to ensure farmers have markets for their products and Minnesotans are fed,' Minnesota Department of Agriculture officials said in a statement. Some of the east metro schools or districts that received Local Food for Schools Program funds in 2023 were Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Schools, $173,750; Roseville Public Schools, $149,444; St. Paul Public Schools, $100,000; and White Bear Lake, $85,000.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's tariff policies set up farmers for bailouts and bankruptcy
For someone who tells us frequently how much he loves farmers, Trump sure has a strange way of showing it. Look no further than how his tariffs on China have sparked retaliatory actions targeting U.S. exports of products including soy, corn, wheat and pork. American grain farmers still struggle to regain the market share that they lost to Brazilian competitors the last time Trump was in power. Potential responses from Mexico and Canada will only exact more economic damage. To the north, a possible tariff on potash — a key ingredient in fertilizer — will drive up input prices for our producers and cut into their already thin profit margins. To the south, if Trump's efforts at using tariffs in 2018 are any indication, U.S. farmers can expect their markets for pork, milk and cheese to be negatively affected. Trump's promise during his address to Congress — that farmers will now be selling into our home market — may be forced upon our nation's food producers because they won't have the chance to sell anywhere else. Still, agricultural policy doesn't have to operate this way. Tariffs particularly, when used along with a larger ensemble of tools such as targeted investments and antitrust enforcement, could make markets more profitable and competitive. But as tariffs are currently being deployed, farmers can expect four years of economic hardship. Consider investments. Along with tariffs on foreign imports, say on fruits and vegetables from other countries, the government could dedicate resources to help producers enter the profession and take the place of aging farmers. But rather than having such foresight when thinking about our nation's food security, the USDA has canceled the Local Food for Schools Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which together represent over $1 billion in funding to support local farmers sell to schools and food banks. Along with funding freezes for specific projects, including initiatives for planting organic crops and improving water lines on operations, farmers are having both their productive capacity and domestic markets taken from them. What we know from Trump 1.0 is that when markets are harmed, the government may step in — with bailouts. Last time the Republican was in office, trade wars with China led to two relief packages. As much is almost guaranteed now, as export markets are threatened and programs that could help farmers transition for local, domestic production, are being cut. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins' expedited $10 billion in emergency payments to mark National Agriculture Day for 'market uncertainty' is a taste of what is to come. Meanwhile, Trump has once again made dairy policy national news, targeting Canada for protecting its producers with tariffs in that country's system known as supply management. In terms of specifics, the Canadian system assures a base price for farmers by coordinating supply and demand, including what is imported into the country. Back when renegotiating NAFTA, Canada's supply management system caught Trump's attention for limiting the entry of U.S. dairy exports. Part of the USMCA deal, which replaced NAFTA, assured U.S. dairy farmers slightly greater access to Canadian markets. But even with the USMCA in effect, dairy farm exits have risen. In Wisconsin, from 2014 to 2024, the state experienced a 46 percent decrease in the number of dairies. The state led the country in farm bankruptcies in 2020 and 2021, fresh off the heels of Trump supposedly taking a stand to support U.S. farmers against unfair Canadian trade practices. Moral of the story: Scapegoating the Canadian system for challenges dairy farmers face didn't help keep U.S. producers on the land when Trump was president the first time. Accordingly, there is no reason why pursuing this approach again will generate any different results. Agricultural policy could be different, even during the Trump administration. The National Family Farm Coalition's Milk from Family Dairies Act shows how this is possible. Agreeing with the current administration on the issue of tariffs, particularly on imports from abroad that could drive down prices for U.S. producers, the proposal also dedicates resources for developing local farm infrastructure and confronting market consolidation. This latter point must be part of any initiative dealing with agricultural policy, dairy included, as increased concentration in nearly every area of agriculture leads agribusiness corporations to artificially set prices to the detriment of both farmers and consumers. Specifically, as University of Missouri professor Mary Hendrickson notes, consumers suffer from inflation-inducing price fixing, as markets with few buyers force farmers to receive whatever compensation that they are offered for what they grow or raise. Without tackling the concentrated nature of agricultural markets, Trump's promise to farmers that they can sell domestically is really an invitation to poverty. Tariffs could be part of an effort to truly assist America's farmers. Trump deserves some credit in this regard, particularly for pushing back on the free trade orthodoxy that has reigned unchallenged for decades. But pushing tariffs on their own while contracts are cut and programs are canceled, is a recipe for disaster for our country's food producers. Farmers deserve better. Anthony Pahnke is vice president of Family Farm Defenders and an associate professor of international relations at San Francisco State University in San Francisco. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
