Feds suspend truckloads of eggs, milk, meat and cheese headed to Ventura County food bank

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• Food Share reported a more than 170% increase in the number of food recipients since 2019.
• Shipments put on hold include milk, pork chops, cheese, eggs and chicken.

The federal government last week suspended delivery of roughly seven truckloads of eggs, dairy and meat headed to Ventura County’s regional food bank.

The shipments, some of a reported tens of thousands suspended nationwide, were expected within the next few months, said Monica White, president and CEO of Food Share, an Oxnard-based nonprofit. As of last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture changed the status of the roughly 176,000 pounds of food, she said.

“They have not canceled it, but it’s been put on hold,” White said Tuesday.

Locally, the shipments included milk, pork chops, cheese, eggs and chicken — food not only in high demand and expensive but “absolute necessities” for families, White said. Funding and deliveries may be uncertain, but the need remains at a record high, she said.

Food Share reported a more than 170% increase in the number of food recipients since 2019. Last year, close to 250,000 people received food at a local pantry or distribution site, according to the organization. Most did so three or fewer times a year.

“One way or another, we are going to have to find a way to replace any food or funds that we will not receive,” White said.

How much of the food bank’s funding will be cut?

In all, Food Share receives around 25%, or 5 million pounds, of its food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also receives $838,000, or 10% of its total budget, from the federal agency, she said.

“It’s still very up in the air exactly how we’re going to be affected,” White said.  

The funding and food comes via a variety of programs. Some face possible steep cuts, including emergency food programs funded by the decades-old federal Commodity Credit Corporation.

A USDA spokesperson responded to questions, saying the Biden Administration created “unsustainable programming and expectations” using the Commodity Credit Corporation.

The seven local shipments placed on hold were part of those programs. White estimated their replacement cost at $350,000.

Federal officials also have suspended an emergency food and shelter program, which typically provides Food Share $50,000 or a truckload of food each year, she said.

Will less food be available for Ventura County residents?

Food Share relies on various funding streams and programs from private donations and grants to government funds. Annually, the organization purchases about 20% or $2 million worth of the food that it distributes.

That money pays for regularly needed items from peanut butter to beans as well as special programs for students, farmworkers and others, according to White. Officials could try to raise more funds through grants or donations to cover potential cuts, she said.

She and others are monitoring the situation closely and looking for ways to fill any gaps but have not rung the alarm bell yet. For now, funding is at risk but not necessarily canceled, White said.

“We may need to juggle,” she said. “But we will be here for anybody who needs food.”

More information about how to get involved or food distribution sites is available at foodshare.com.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at [email protected] or 805-437-0260.