At Happy Day Farmhaus in Germantown, Lauren Padovano prides herself on growing fresh food for food banks.”Service people that might not be able to access it day to day,” Padovano said. Padovano said she has been working with West Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force since the COVID-19 pandemic. She provides fresh local foods to the task force to distribute to families in need.ABC reported Wednesday that the USDA is making major cuts to its budget. Programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance Agreement Program which allocated funding to food banks to spend on high-quality food from area sources.”It supports local farmers all while creating access to healthy food for people in need so these are the kind of programs we need more of, not less of,” Matt King, CEO of Hunger Task Force, said.The food bank said they received $250,000 from the program last year. The money primarily went to farms like Padovano’s in order to receive more fresh foods versus strictly non-perishable food.With the USDA making the cuts, Padovano said she is worried about these families being able to access healthy, good food. “They are just not going to be able to eat it anymore, it’s going to go back to canned food or whatever non-perishable food they have,” Padovano said.King said that despite the cuts, they plan to honor all contracts with area farms for the rest of 2025.A USDA spokesperson has released a statement on the program cuts:“As a pandemic-era program, LFPA will now be sunsetted at the end of the performance period, marking a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives. This isn’t an abrupt shift—just last week, USDA released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for LFPA and LFS to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases. With 16 robust nutrition programs in place, USDA remains focused on its core mission: strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious food. Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in CCC funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, 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.” Top HeadlinesBody found over weekend in Kenosha is that of missing womanMom charged after hiding Oak Creek daughter from father for 6 daysAbandoned Milwaukee property becomes illegal tire dumping groundWATCH Single-story pole barn catches fire in Hartland
At Happy Day Farmhaus in Germantown, Lauren Padovano prides herself on growing fresh food for food banks.
“Service people that might not be able to access it day to day,” Padovano said.
Advertisement
Padovano said she has been working with West Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force since the COVID-19 pandemic. She provides fresh local foods to the task force to distribute to families in need.
ABC reported Wednesday that the USDA is making major cuts to its budget. Programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance Agreement Program which allocated funding to food banks to spend on high-quality food from area sources.
“It supports local farmers all while creating access to healthy food for people in need so these are the kind of programs we need more of, not less of,” Matt King, CEO of Hunger Task Force, said.
The food bank said they received $250,000 from the program last year. The money primarily went to farms like Padovano’s in order to receive more fresh foods versus strictly non-perishable food.
With the USDA making the cuts, Padovano said she is worried about these families being able to access healthy, good food.
“They are just not going to be able to eat it anymore, it’s going to go back to canned food or whatever non-perishable food they have,” Padovano said.
King said that despite the cuts, they plan to honor all contracts with area farms for the rest of 2025.
A USDA spokesperson has released a statement on the program cuts:
“As a pandemic-era program, LFPA will now be sunsetted at the end of the performance period, marking a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives. This isn’t an abrupt shift—just last week, USDA released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for LFPA and LFS to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases.
With 16 robust nutrition programs in place, USDA remains focused on its core mission: strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious food. Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in CCC funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, 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.”
Top Headlines
WATCH Single-story pole barn catches fire in Hartland
发表回复