President Donald Trump’s administration will not renew a program Long Island’s two largest food banks said provided their organizations with a total of $2.6 million they used to buy about 2.4 million pounds of locally-produced produce, meat and dairy products for underserved communities.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week it was eliminating the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which had provided $420 million nationwide to food banks.
In addition, the agency also said it was canceling funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. That $660 million program provided for the purchases of healthy food from local farmers and suppliers that was served to children through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.
The funding cuts come as White House adviser Elon Musk continues to slash spending and federal jobs through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. A USDA spokesperson said in an emailed statement the program cancellations weren’t “an abrupt shift” and that just last week, the agency released “over half a billion in previously obligated funds.”
The statement added: “USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact. The COVID era is over. USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward.”
Under the Biden administration, the USDA had launched the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement in 2021 to help food banks, along with local growers and producers, respond to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, nearly $26 million in funding went to New York under that program, records show.
Last year, the USDA announced it would spend a total of more than $1 billion to fund both of the food assistance programs.
Last year, Island Harvest in Melville was authorized for $2 million in the USDA funding, while Long Island Cares-The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank in Hauppauge was slated for $650,000, food bank officials said.
“We’re very concerned about losing access to the LFPA funding and the pounds of food that it would bring to Long Island,” said Gregory May, director of government and community relations for Island Harvest. “We’re working with our federal representatives to see if we can continue the program in some shape, form or fashion.”
The Trump administration said the funding would cease after just one round and food banks had until the end of August to spend their existing funds.
May said to date, Island Harvest has spent about $735,000 of the $2 million in funding to buy about 882,000 pounds of food. By the end of August, May said, Island Harvest estimates it will purchase roughly two million pounds of food with the funds, largely from Suffolk County farmers.
Eliminating that funding source, according to May, will cut off about 10% of the 20 million pounds of food Island Harvest buys annually for Long Island families in need.
Local estimates show more than 221,000 Long Islanders struggle with food insecurity, meaning they don’t have reliable access to nutritious food on a daily basis, Newsday previously reported. That problem, May said, will only grow if the nation enters an economic downturn or a recession.
Long Island Cares Chief Executive Officer Paule Pachter said the organization received $650,000 through the USDA program in recent weeks. He said Thursday the loss of that funding in the future was “no reason for alarm” but “reason for concern.”
Pachter said the nonprofit planned to use the $650,000 to buy 430,000 pounds of food through August — representing 2.6% of the 16 million pounds of food it buys annually. He said besides the USDA funding, there are several other federal and state funding sources that provide financial assistance for the food bank’s operations.
The USDA said in October 2022 that New York schools were slated to get nearly $12 million in funding under the now-canceled program. The New York State Education Department didn’t respond immediately Thursday to a request for comment about how much funding has gone to Long Island schools.
The Virginia-based nonprofit School Nutrition Association said the cuts nationwide to the program will severely limit student access to healthy meals.
“The Local Food for Schools program has enabled chronically underfunded school meal programs to purchase fresh, local options for student meals,” Shannon Gleave, the nonprofit’s president, said in a statement. ” … In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school meal programs struggling to manage rising food and labor costs.”
President Donald Trump’s administration will not renew a program Long Island’s two largest food banks said provided their organizations with a total of $2.6 million they used to buy about 2.4 million pounds of locally-produced produce, meat and dairy products for underserved communities.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week it was eliminating the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which had provided $420 million nationwide to food banks.
In addition, the agency also said it was canceling funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. That $660 million program provided for the purchases of healthy food from local farmers and suppliers that was served to children through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.
The funding cuts come as White House adviser Elon Musk continues to slash spending and federal jobs through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. A USDA spokesperson said in an emailed statement the program cancellations weren’t “an abrupt shift” and that just last week, the agency released “over half a billion in previously obligated funds.”
The statement added: “USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact. The COVID era is over. USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward.”
Under the Biden administration, the USDA had launched the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement in 2021 to help food banks, along with local growers and producers, respond to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, nearly $26 million in funding went to New York under that program, records show.
Last year, the USDA announced it would spend a total of more than $1 billion to fund both of the food assistance programs.
Local food bank cuts
Last year, Island Harvest in Melville was authorized for $2 million in the USDA funding, while Long Island Cares-The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank in Hauppauge was slated for $650,000, food bank officials said.
“We’re very concerned about losing access to the LFPA funding and the pounds of food that it would bring to Long Island,” said Gregory May, director of government and community relations for Island Harvest. “We’re working with our federal representatives to see if we can continue the program in some shape, form or fashion.”
The Trump administration said the funding would cease after just one round and food banks had until the end of August to spend their existing funds.
May said to date, Island Harvest has spent about $735,000 of the $2 million in funding to buy about 882,000 pounds of food. By the end of August, May said, Island Harvest estimates it will purchase roughly two million pounds of food with the funds, largely from Suffolk County farmers.
Eliminating that funding source, according to May, will cut off about 10% of the 20 million pounds of food Island Harvest buys annually for Long Island families in need.
Local estimates show more than 221,000 Long Islanders struggle with food insecurity, meaning they don’t have reliable access to nutritious food on a daily basis, Newsday previously reported. That problem, May said, will only grow if the nation enters an economic downturn or a recession.
Long Island Cares Chief Executive Officer Paule Pachter said the organization received $650,000 through the USDA program in recent weeks. He said Thursday the loss of that funding in the future was “no reason for alarm” but “reason for concern.”
Pachter said the nonprofit planned to use the $650,000 to buy 430,000 pounds of food through August — representing 2.6% of the 16 million pounds of food it buys annually. He said besides the USDA funding, there are several other federal and state funding sources that provide financial assistance for the food bank’s operations.
Local schools impact unclear
The USDA said in October 2022 that New York schools were slated to get nearly $12 million in funding under the now-canceled program. The New York State Education Department didn’t respond immediately Thursday to a request for comment about how much funding has gone to Long Island schools.
The Virginia-based nonprofit School Nutrition Association said the cuts nationwide to the program will severely limit student access to healthy meals.
“The Local Food for Schools program has enabled chronically underfunded school meal programs to purchase fresh, local options for student meals,” Shannon Gleave, the nonprofit’s president, said in a statement. ” … In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school meal programs struggling to manage rising food and labor costs.”
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