Article Summary –
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $1.13 billion Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs, initially aimed at supporting schools, childcare centers, and food banks in sourcing local foods, have been canceled by the Trump administration, citing misalignment with the agency’s goals and labeling them as nonessential COVID-era programs. The cancellation has drawn criticism from school nutrition professionals and local food advocates, who emphasize the benefits these programs provided, such as supporting local farmers and enabling schools to offer healthier, locally sourced meals, and the negative impact the cuts will have on schools’ budgets and local economies. Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, have urged for the restoration of these programs, while broader budget cuts proposed by Republicans threaten additional resources like the Community Eligibility Provision, affecting a significant number of students receiving free meals.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $1.13 billion for programs aiding schools, child care centers, and food banks to source local foods. However, President Donald Trump’s administration canceled these programs, surprising many who had established arrangements with local farmers.
A USDA spokesperson stated that the $660 million Local Food for Schools Program and the $472 million Local Food Purchase Assistance Program were canceled as they didn’t fulfill agency goals.
Wisconsin was scheduled to receive over $16 million from both programs in 2025.
USDA did not comment. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Fox News these were “COVID-era programs” and deemed them nonessential, citing excessive spending by the Biden administration.
Kaitlin Tauriainen, president of the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin, emphasized the funds’ significance for students and local food producers. “Healthier, locally grown items are crucial for students. Our budget constraints make it hard to expand organic and scratch meals,” she said.
As the child nutrition coordinator for the Ashwaubenon School District, Tauriainen mentioned the program enabled more local meat purchases: “LFS funds allowed us to buy ground beef and hamburger patties, enhancing meal offerings.”
The funding cuts affect budgets significantly. “With only $2 per lunch, we rely heavily on government-provided big-box foods, not local products,” Tauriainen explained. This disrupts initiatives to incorporate fresh local produce into school meals.
Stacy Nelson, director of food services for the Menomonie School District, shared that local partnerships were beneficial educational tools: “We could fairly compensate farmers and teach students about local food origins.”
Nelson had to end a local beef partnership due to the cuts: “It was devastating. The farmer had to find other markets, affecting our local economy.”
“The funds allowed us to avoid big-box items and diversify our menu. Rising food costs make it harder to maintain these improvements,” Nelson added.
Seasonal Harvest in De Pere benefited from the funding to connect local producers with schools like Ashwaubenon. Co-owner Sheri Howard said it supported farming growth: “It provided a stable income stream for farmers, allowing infrastructure investments like new equipment.”
Wisconsin’s local economy received approximately $500,000 in LFS funds. While not essential for survival, these funds allowed for more substantial growth in local agriculture, impacting school meal budgets.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin and 30 Democrats urged Rollins to restore the programs in a letter, expressing concerns about the cancellation’s impact.
Congress is weighing significant cuts to safety net programs. House Republicans voted for a budget mandating $230 billion in agriculture-related cuts, affecting safety nets like the Community Eligibility Provision.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington’s document proposed $3 billion in cuts to this provision affecting free school meals.
The cuts could force 666 Wisconsin schools out of the Community Eligibility Provision, impacting over 320,000 students, according to a fact sheet from the Food Research & Action Center.
“These programs support kids who face hunger and uncertainty about their next meal,” Nelson stated. “Pulling these initiatives contradicts the goal of making America healthy.”
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