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by SHARELLE B. MCNAIR March 13, 2025 A USDA spokesperson released a statement confirming the funds were 'no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day

notification.' ------------------------- Schools and childcare facilities counting on the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA), to buy food from local farms, were dealt a huge blow after

the agency cut two programs, Politico reports.  The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program was axed. Facilities counted on close to $660 million to provide local food choices

to children. The School Nutrition Association said state officials were notified March 7 by USDA as more than 40 states signed up to participate in years prior.  The Local Food Purchase

Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks and other feeding organizations, was also cut. All told, more than $1 billion in federal spending was halted. Spending for

both programs was expanded by former President Joe Biden’s administration, citing a need for a more resilient food supply chain so schools and other facilities didn’t have to rely solely on

food company giants. In 2024, the agency pushed more than $1 billion in additional funding through collaborative efforts with a new USDA fund allocated for purchasing agricultural

commodities called the Commodity Credit Corporation.  However, the idea was short lived. A USDA spokesperson released a statement confirming the funds created in October 2024 were “no longer

available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification.” With the cost of food continuously rising and needed programs being axed at the hands of the Trump

administration, school nutrition officials are growing more and more anxious about the affordability of healthy food options. There is also the issue of the number of children with limited

food resources over the summer. In January 2025, Iowa’s Department of Education announced plans to look for sponsors for its summer meal and snack sites, a collaborative effort with USDA’s

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  The state is home to 111 communities classified as rural food deserts, according to _The Daily Iowan_. Experts like Natoshia Askelson, associate

professor in community and behavioral health at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, said living in a food dessert creates additional stressors to those living in low-income or

rural areas that people in other communities don’t think about.  “People who have to access food in rural areas have to drive further. That increases the amount of time that they spend

getting food, which then decreases the amount of time they have to prepare food and the amount of time that they have to devote to their families and their jobs,” Askelson said. “So, a

larger percentage of their time is really about being able to get food and find food.” Other state leaders, like Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey criticized USDA’s decision and

knew exactly who to blame. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have declared that feeding children and supporting local farmers are no longer ‘priorities,’ and it’s just the latest terrible cut with

real impact on families across Massachusetts,” Healey said in a statement.  She said the decision will result in a $12 million loss toward school districts.   RELATED CONTENT: Gwenna Hunter

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