Latest news with #RFSI
Chicago Tribune
14-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Matteson farm hit by bird flu loses $220,000 grant amid federal funding freeze
Weeks after a family farm in Matteson lost its entire flock of nearly 3,000 chickens to bird flu, the owners learned their federal funding to remodel a pole barn is in limbo. Kakadoodle farm owners MariKate and Marty Thomas were informed in October they would receive a $220,000 grant, which they planned to use to remodel their pole barn into a distribution center where they aggregate products from other farms and package them for delivery to homes, Marty Thomas said. The grant, part of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, was just awaiting approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas said. 'We were really hoping, after the bird flu happened and we lost all that revenue, we were like, 'OK, but at least we're going to have this revenue coming in, and then that's not going to happen either,'' Thomas said. The couple spent $80,000 to pour concrete and set up temperature control for the barn, banking on reimbursement from the federal grant, Thomas said. 'We've done the very bare minimum that we needed to do with that barn, and it's fine where it's at. It's operational, it's just like halfway completed,' Thomas said. The couple learned the grant was in limbo after the USDA ceased reimbursements for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program after President Donald Trump's administration cut funding for the programs, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced in a news release in early March. 'I'm hopeful that these freezes are going to be lifted,' Thomas said. 'These are good programs. Trump has supported programs like this in his last administration. I know this one's like different, but I don't know, I have no choice but to be hopeful about it.' Without the federal funds, Thomas said the couple won't be able to complete renovations. 'We just got a blanket statement, like we just learned with everybody else, that the RFSI and the LFPA were both suspended,' Thomas said. The state Department of Agriculture was in the process of selecting grantees for the RFSI program, which would have provided $6.4 million in grant funding to entities, according to the release. Gov. JB Pritzker called cuts to the programs a 'slap in the face' to Illinois farmers. 'The Trump Administration's refusal to release grant funds doesn't just hurt farmers in the program, it devastates our most vulnerable, food-insecure communities relying on meat, fresh produce and other nutritious donations,' the governor said in the release. This week, the state's Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II addressed the House Agriculture & Conservation Committee in Springfield to discuss the impact of federal funding cuts and tariffs on Illinois farmers, according to a news release. 'These are federal funds that were passed by Congress, a coequal branch of government, signed into law, and promised to Illinois farmers,' Costello said. 'They have been cut with no explanation or timeline, and farmers are left to deal with the consequences.' The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program was established to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain by expanding the capacity for locally and regionally produced foods, providing better market opportunities and new revenue streams for small and mid-sized agricultural producers, the state agriculture department said. The program requires farmers to make upfront investments in input costs, with the promise of grant dollars to reimburse them, the state agriculture department said. However, without federal funding the program is unable to operate, they said. While the couple is disappointed, Thomas said he believes their business can survive without government assistance. 'There's a silver lining to this freeze for us, because now we're laser focused as a business on exactly where we need to be, and that's getting food directly to consumers,' he said. '2025 is going to be really hard. We're going to need to raise or borrow a significant amount of money to get through 2025 if the funding freezes continue. However, I'm like, more confident than ever in Kakadoodle.' Though losing their flock of 3,000 hens to bird flu was a significant hit for the farm, which produced close to 24,000 eggs each week, Thomas said the couple is choosing to remain optimistic and has received an outpouring of support from the community and a GoFundMe, which raised more than $50,000 as of Friday. Although the farm is under a 150-day quarantine, preventing them from growing produce or raising new hens until June, Thomas said they continue to operate their online marketplace. Without access to federal funds, the farmers will have the opportunity to refine their business model and focus on generating profit independently, Thomas said. Come 2026, he believes Kakadoodle will be able to operate without any government aid. 'I'm really excited about that,' he said. 'We've always been mindful of taking government assistance, although grateful of it. There's this balance, but I was always careful not to build our business around government funds for programs.' The farmers started Kakadoodle in 2020 as an online marketplace to deliver local food to people's home, inspired by Marty's defeat of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. MariKate Thomas previously told the Southtown that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is linked to glyphosate exposure, a common chemical in conventional farming. The Cleveland Clinic says some studies suggest agricultural workers exposed to high pesticide levels may face a slightly higher risk of the cancer, though the risk from low-level or occasional exposure remains uncertain. Their farm raises chemical-free and antibiotic-free chickens, and their hens spend time in pastures, according to Kakadoodle's website. Despite the hardships, Thomas said he is grateful for the community's support, which has proven how much people care about their farm and products. 'Going through this bird flu and this funding freeze and everything, like the support from our community and customers has been unreal, like bringing us to tears,' he said. 'It's more than a food delivery service for them, they are so passionate about Kakadoodle.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Impacts of USDA cuts, tariff flip flops take center stage at Illinois Capitol
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — The United States Department of Agriculture will make $1 billion of cuts to food purchasing programs. It's just the latest hit to the agriculture sector, as the trump administration works to strip down government agencies. Lawmakers in Springfield held a hearing to discuss those 11cuts, the lack of federal funding coming in for other food programs, and the impact the president's on-again off-again tariff plan is having on farmers. 'it definitely puts you in a more precarious spot,' Ed Dubrick, a farmer from Cissna Park said. The hearing covered a wide array of topics, with farmers, officials from the University of Illinois, staff from programs designed to tackle food insecurity and Illinois Department of Agriculture officials all taking part. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is short millions of dollars that was appropriated to the state by the federal government. The agency's director, Jerry Costello says the money stopped coming right after the Trump Administrations threatened Federal funding freeze from early February. It's all a part of the $2 billion Governor Pritzker said has been withheld from the Illinois government. Costello says the lack of federal money is causing problems for multiple programs, including the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Both programs worked to get food to food insecure areas all over the state, including to school programs and food banks. 'We try to get guidance, we cannot get guidance,' Costello said. 'We go to pull down monies that again were contractually agreed upon for reimbursement. It does happen. It doesn't happen.' University of Illinois officials have also seen impacts from the cuts. A lab on the Champaign-Urbana campus for studying soy beans had to be shut down after the Trump Adminstration. While research projects could be affected by future cuts, the Dean of the College of ACES said the University will continue with projects where they can. 'We are stewards of the dollars that they give us to do this research uncertainty. You know, it's really making it difficult to plan ahead,' Professor Germán Bollero said. 'We continue to focus on the research that we do, and the research done have impact to society.' The University has had to take other temporary changes though, including pauses to hiring graduate students for certain programs. While the USDA cuts are specific to food purchasing, there are other impacts of federal actions that could lead to problems for farmers. Trump's inconsistent tariff strategy is causing a lot of uncertainty in an already struggling market. Trump's tariffs target three of Illinois' biggest trade partners, and the three have already threatened retaliatory tariffs. If those were to be put on agriculture products, it could hurt the bottom line for farmers. While all of this was discussed under the dome in Springfield Tuesday, there was an issue. Illinois has no real control over what is going on. Democrats argued this hearing was meant to highlight the impacts of the cuts, but Republicans argued it strictly political in nature. This is the second hearing in the past week held to highlight federal cuts that were outside the state governments control. Last week, lawmakers discussed the potential cuts to Medicaid that could come with the congressional spending plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's USDA cuts hurt Illinois farmers and food-insecure communities
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois farmers are letting lawmakers in Springfield know how President Trump's cuts to the USDA are affecting their ability to distribute food to those in need. 'Farmers face so many challenges as it is, and now they must contend with the uncertainty of whether or not these contracts with the government will be honored,' said National Young Farmer's Coalition's Anna Morrell. 'We need certainty and we need certainty so we can continue feeding our communities.' Trump's executive order to cut funding resulted in the Illinois Department of Agriculture announcing it will no longer be able to operate the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) on March 4th. The House Agriculture Committee also heard from multiple farmers about how tariffs on agricultural products are causing the farm bill's approval to be delayed. Governor Pritzker said the cuts hurt every resident of Illinois. 'Cutting funds for these programs is a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed,' said Pritzker. 'The Trump Administration's refusal to release grant fundsdoesn't just hurt farmers in the program, it devastates our most vulnerable, food-insecurecommunities relying on meat, fresh produce and other nutritious donations.' The USDA ceased reimbursements for LFPA and RFSI without explanation on January 19th. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal funding cuts impact Central Illinois food banks, farmers
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Federal programs meant to support both farmers and food banks in Central Illinois are taking a hit. The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) are no longer able to operate because of federal funding cuts. IL Governor addresses Trump's vision for Dept. of Education in Champaign The USDA is ceasing reimbursements for any costs incurred after Jan. 19. The LFPA, which started three years ago, gave federal dollars to organizations like the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to buy from growers. So, not only is it impacting food banks, but it's taking its toll on farmers, too. 'The access to nutritious food is extremely important,' said EIF President and CEO Kelly Daly. EIF distributes millions of pounds of groceries across 18 counties through their mobile distribution program. Daly said they're not stopping anytime soon, but budget cuts are making it a bit more challenging. Jefferson Middle School receives national honor 'This program has provided incredible support for a number of months,' Daly said. 'We will be sorry to see it go. We are looking at it and evaluating and will find new and creative ways to bring fresh fruits and vegetables on these mobile routes day in and day out.' EIF received $1.2 million from the program this year. The money was used to buy proteins, specifically. '[Proteins are] one of our most requested items and very popular on the food mobile distributions,' Daly said. Although it's a hit, Daly said she always knew the money wasn't something to count on. 'We've always known that the program was not a permanent program, so we haven't relied on it for these distributions,' Daly said. 'We will continue to provide nutritious food on these food mobile distributions, regardless of how the funding from this federal funding programs flows.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration cuts funding for Illinois food assistance programs
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that two programs were being discontinued after the Trump administration cut funding. According to the IDOA, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) would be shut down. Funded through the American Rescue Plan, the LFPA reimbursed local governments for buying food from farmers and distributing it, via food pantries, at no cost. More than 170 farmers have supplied food to 883 locations through the supported Illinois-EATS program. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved $43 million for Illinois to fund the program for several years, starting in 2022, but the state is still missing $17.8 million, according to the IDOA. The RFSI program provided grants to strengthen mid-supply chain infrastructure, like processing and distribution. Illinois received $5 million in 2024. The IDOA said the USDA notified states that invoices would be processed only for costs incurred on or prior to January 19th, 2025. 'Cutting funds for these programs is a slap in the face to Illinois farmers and the communities they feed,' said Gov. JB Pritzker. 'The Trump Administration's refusal to release grant funds doesn't just hurt farmers in the program, it devastates our most vulnerable, food-insecure communities relying on meat, fresh produce and other nutritious donations.' No reason was given for the cuts, but the Trump administration has made it a priority to reduce taxpayer spending within the federal government, utilizing recommendations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to trim redundancy and waste. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
