USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks

[Zincwarrior]

The Ag department just ended a grant program for local schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. Do we envision local states picking up the tab or shuttering the program?

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www.politico.com

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.

Roughly $660 million that schools and child care facilities were counting on to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 has been canceled, according to the School Nutrition Association.

State officials were notified Friday of USDA’s decision to end the LFS program for this year. More than 40 states had signed agreements to participate in previous years, according to SNA and several state agencies.


The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, has also been cut. USDA notified states that it was unfreezing funds for existing LFPA agreements but did not plan to carry out a second round of funding for fiscal year 2025.

In a statement, a USDA spokesperson confirmed that funding, previously announced last October, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.”

 

[otto105]

The Ag department just ended a grant program for local schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. Do we envision local states picking up the tab or shuttering the program?

Loading…

www.politico.com

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.

Roughly $660 million that schools and child care facilities were counting on to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 has been canceled, according to the School Nutrition Association.

State officials were notified Friday of USDA’s decision to end the LFS program for this year. More than 40 states had signed agreements to participate in previous years, according to SNA and several state agencies.


The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, has also been cut. USDA notified states that it was unfreezing funds for existing LFPA agreements but did not plan to carry out a second round of funding for fiscal year 2025.

In a statement, a USDA spokesperson confirmed that funding, previously announced last October, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.”

Rural a Merica just FAFO'd themselves.

 

[Scoutster]

 

[jackflash]

The Ag department just ended a grant program for local schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. Do we envision local states picking up the tab or shuttering the program?

Loading…

www.politico.com

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.

Roughly $660 million that schools and child care facilities were counting on to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 has been canceled, according to the School Nutrition Association.

State officials were notified Friday of USDA’s decision to end the LFS program for this year. More than 40 states had signed agreements to participate in previous years, according to SNA and several state agencies.


The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, has also been cut. USDA notified states that it was unfreezing funds for existing LFPA agreements but did not plan to carry out a second round of funding for fiscal year 2025.

In a statement, a USDA spokesperson confirmed that funding, previously announced last October, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.”

Sack lunches for school students are currently the hot ticket. Food banks went out of style when supermarkets replaced them.

 

[martybegan]

The Ag department just ended a grant program for local schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. Do we envision local states picking up the tab or shuttering the program?

Loading…

www.politico.com

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.

Roughly $660 million that schools and child care facilities were counting on to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 has been canceled, according to the School Nutrition Association.

State officials were notified Friday of USDA’s decision to end the LFS program for this year. More than 40 states had signed agreements to participate in previous years, according to SNA and several state agencies.


The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, has also been cut. USDA notified states that it was unfreezing funds for existing LFPA agreements but did not plan to carry out a second round of funding for fiscal year 2025.

In a statement, a USDA spokesperson confirmed that funding, previously announced last October, “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.”

Also from the article:

The spokesperson added: “These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency. LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.”

So there is still funding under the cut funding that will provide resources to these schools.

Why do we need THREE PROGRAMS doing the same damn thing?

 

[otto105]

Also from the article:



So there is still funding under the cut funding that will provide resources to these schools.

Why do we need THREE PROGRAMS doing the same damn thing?

Big food will love it.

 

[martybegan]

Big food will love it.

The LFPA and LFPA Plus programs also use local food.

List of Signed Local Food Purchase Assistance and LFPA Plus Executive Summary Cooperative Agreements | Agricultural Marketing Service

Why is there a need for 3 programs doing the same thing?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

The Ag department just ended a grant program for local schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. Do we envision local states picking up the tab or shuttering the program?

Local government entities should be picking up the tab for this stuff, not the federal government.

 

[rightwinger]

Feeding the poor and school children is what Musk calls waste

 

[martybegan]

Local government entities should be picking up the tab for this stuff, not the federal government.

And the federal government still is, under the base program AND an extension of the base program.

Evidently we need 3 programs doing the same thing just to be sure....

 

[Care4all]

It was appropriated by Congress, so constitutionally, it is Congress that needs to kill it.

Doesn't any right wingers believe in the Constitution anymore???

 

[martybegan]

Feeding the poor and school children is what Musk calls waste

So those two base programs that still exist AND STILL HAVE FUNDING don't count?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

It was appropriated by Congress, so constitutionally, it is Congress that needs to kill it.

Doesn't any right wingers believe in the Constitution anymore???

No, they only believe in the Gospel of Donald.

 

[martybegan]

It was appropriated by Congress, so constitutionally, it is Congress that needs to kill it.

Doesn't any right wingers believe in the Constitution anymore???

Please read the article next time.

The spokesperson added: “These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency. LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.”

So the appropriated money is still being spent under the initial program AND THE ADDER PROGRAM.

How many layers are needed?

 

[martybegan]

No, they only believe in the Gospel of Donald.

Please read my retort above, and also, please read the whole article before replying.

 

[Zincwarrior]

Local government entities should be picking up the tab for this stuff, not the federal government.

Hence my question. Do you think they will?

 

[martybegan]

Hence my question. Do you think they will?

They don't have to, there is still TWO PROGRAMS WORTH OF FUNDING available.

It's in the freaking article.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Hence my question. Do you think they will?

No clue. Obviously, it will depend on where the impact is and which parties are in control, but given that Republican are usually squishes on spending, despite their election time rhetoric, I imagine even in the very conservative areas at least some of this will continue with local money.

 

[martybegan]

No clue. Obviously, it will depend on where the impact is and which parties are in control, but given that Republican are usually squishes on spending, despite their election time rhetoric, I imagine even in the very conservative areas at least some of this will continue with local money.

And the two FEDERAL programs still running providing funding.

Or the program and a half.

 

[WorldWatcher]

The spokesperson added: “These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency. LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.”

Just to point out how mealy mouthed what the spokeman said is.

If you are a School providing free and reduced lunches to poor children or a Food Bank helping people feed their families and you get $10 in support from the government. Say...

• Program A = $3.34
• Program B = $3.33
• Program C = $3.33

If they eliminate Program C, there are still "substantial financial resources" remaining, but your funding just got cut by 1/3.

WW