School lunchrooms and community food banks in South Carolina were set to receive locally grown produce as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to promote nutrition and support independent farmers.
The Trump administration has canceled funding for the programs as part of an aggressive, across-the-board effort to reduce federal spending.
The USDA cuts total about $1 billion, including $14.5 million that would have come to South Carolina.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture administers the local food for schools and local food purchase agreement programs.
Communications director Eva Moore said from January 2023 to May 2024, the Local Food for Schools program provided fresh fruits and vegetables to more than 213,000 schoolchildren in South Carolina.
The program also supported the payment of $2.6 million to independent farmers. About $500,000 covered distribution and storage costs.
The local food purchase agreement has provided produce for food banks and food pick-up programs – including food giveaways in Spartanburg and Greenville.
The Trump administration cuts were expected, said Michael Brown, who serves as executive director of Sustaining Way, a Greenville-based nonprofit that promotes food security and environmental sustainability in the Upstate.
Sustaining Way has used funds from the local food purchase assistance program to coordinate the fresh fruit and vegetable giveaways in Spartanburg and Greenville. “We’ve been helping to feed about 700 people, overall,” Brown said.
Sustaining Way is hoping that state lawmakers and private donors help make up for the loss of federal funding, Brown said. “We’re just trying to circle the wagons right now.”
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