An Iowa farmer says he’s anticipating “a lot of challenges” now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided to cut programs that purchase local food to send to schools, food pantries and food banks.The USDA announced Monday it is halting more than $1 billion in federal spending for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.Both programs rely on money from the federal government to connect food from local farmers to schools, food pantries and food banks to help feed those in need. The three-year agreements started in 2022 but won’t be renewed in 2025.”It’s just been really problematic to think about all the work that we’ve been doing to build these systems and these processes and these procedures to just have them basically wiped out,” Tony Thompson, a fourth-generation farmer, said.Thompson also owns a food hub called Prudent Produce. He buys local food and produce from 100 farmers a year and sells some of those products to consumers. The rest gets sent to schools and food pantries through the two programs.”We’re using those funds to buy food from local food producers and getting them into the hands of people who need them,” Thompson said. KCCI reached out to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the decision. Communications director Don McDowell said in a statement:“Over the past two months, the Trump Administration has been reviewing all federal spending and programs. It should not come as a surprise that a program announced in October 2024 by executive action, rather than legislatively directed, won’t be continued past its original end date. Programs designed to forge relationships between Iowa farmers, food hubs, food banks and schools are important to our producers and communities. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will continue to pursue future opportunities to grow markets for local farmers and Iowa grown and raised foods, like the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program for Schools announced this week.” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program for Schools Monday. It’s a $70,000 program that was authorized during the 2024 legislative session. It aims to connect local farmers and small businesses to schools.Public and private schools are encouraged to apply by April 7 for up to $1,000 per school building. » Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
An Iowa farmer says he’s anticipating “a lot of challenges” now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided to cut programs that purchase local food to send to schools, food pantries and food banks.
The USDA announced Monday it is halting more than $1 billion in federal spending for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
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Both programs rely on money from the federal government to connect food from local farmers to schools, food pantries and food banks to help feed those in need. The three-year agreements started in 2022 but won’t be renewed in 2025.
“It’s just been really problematic to think about all the work that we’ve been doing to build these systems and these processes and these procedures to just have them basically wiped out,” Tony Thompson, a fourth-generation farmer, said.
Thompson also owns a food hub called Prudent Produce. He buys local food and produce from 100 farmers a year and sells some of those products to consumers. The rest gets sent to schools and food pantries through the two programs.
“We’re using those funds to buy food from local food producers and getting them into the hands of people who need them,” Thompson said.
KCCI reached out to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the decision. Communications director Don McDowell said in a statement:
“Over the past two months, the Trump Administration has been reviewing all federal spending and programs. It should not come as a surprise that a program announced in October 2024 by executive action, rather than legislatively directed, won’t be continued past its original end date. Programs designed to forge relationships between Iowa farmers, food hubs, food banks and schools are important to our producers and communities. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will continue to pursue future opportunities to grow markets for local farmers and Iowa grown and raised foods, like the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program for Schools announced this week.”
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program for Schools Monday. It’s a $70,000 program that was authorized during the 2024 legislative session. It aims to connect local farmers and small businesses to schools.
Public and private schools are encouraged to apply by April 7 for up to $1,000 per school building.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
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