RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A federal program that once connected Nevada farmers with food banks has been cut by the Trump administration, leaving local growers scrambling to find new markets, and threatening access to fresh produce for families in need.
The USDA’s decision to end the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) has had a significant impact on both farmers and food banks in the state. The program, known locally as “Home Feeds Nevada,” was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to support local agriculture and strengthen food security through the American Rescue Plan. The end of Home Feeds Nevada leaves growers like Ray Johnson with fewer places to sell—and low-income families with fewer options to eat.
“I don’t like to see people going hungry,” Johnson said.
In Silver Springs, Nevada, Johnson walks the grounds of his 2.5-acre farm, Custom Gardens. For more than 30 years, he’s grown a wide range of fruits and vegetables with the help of dedicated volunteers—and his loyal dog, Toki. But this season, only half the farm is planted.
“We’re stocked up on seed, but I’m afraid to plant it because we just don’t have the place to sell it and the people don’t have the money to buy it,” Johnson said.
Since the program’s inception, Johnson had provided 2,500 pounds of fresh produce to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Without that guaranteed buyer, he now faces twice the work for half the certainty. He’s turning to farmers markets to make up the gap, but those come with extra costs and logistical challenges, including insurance and setup fees that cut into his already thin margins.
“Paying four dollars for a bunch of carrots just makes me cringe, said Johnson. “It’s ridiculous. But it’s what you have to do to break even.”
The LFPA’s end is forcing Johnson and other farmers to confront not just economic hurdles, but moral ones.
“The people who receive WIC to purchase fruits and vegetables—they will not be able to do so. That’ll hurt.”
Johnson says he doesn’t want to pass costs on to customers, but without support, he has little choice. And that’s a burden he takes personally.
“We live in the communities we serve. We have to be able to look our neighbors in the eye and explain why we’re charging what we are. Why does the government need to mess with agriculture,” questions Johnson.
This comes as a major loss for food banks, too. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada, which currently serves about 160,000 families each month, is also feeling the pressure.
“We received about three million pounds of food through Home Feeds Nevada,” said Jocelyn Lantrip, Director of Marketing. “Its loss is definitely noticed.”
Lantrip said the need for food assistance is still 76% higher than pre-pandemic levels. And while the food bank is committed to finding new ways to fill its pipeline, there’s no easy replacement for what Home Feeds Nevada provided.
“It’s not an option for us to fail, so we’ll have to look for other ways to fill that pipeline—and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
As the growing season begins, both food producers and providers are calling for new, sustainable ways to support local agriculture and meet the rising need for food assistance. Without programs like Home Feeds Nevada, they say, the people most impacted will be those with the least, and small family farms trying to stay afloat.
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