Andy Spears blogs about the administration’s attack on affordable meals for students that also support local farmers.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) subsidizes school nutrition programs – helping provide healthy, affordable school meals to kids.
Now, a USDA program designed to allow schools to provide locally-produced food to kids is on the chopping block. The program not only provided fresh, locally sourced food but also provided a reliable income stream for farmers.
The Guardian reports:
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has slashed two programs that provided more than $1bn for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farms and ranchers.
A chart of awards for the two local food programs funded by the USDA tells the story of how much states stand to lose as a result of the cuts.
Tennessee was awarded more than $20 million for these efforts in FY 2025.
A USDA spokesperson told Politico that funding for the programs chosen for elimination “will be terminated following 60-day notification”. The spokesperson said the programs were created by executive orders issued during Joe Biden’s presidency and “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency”.
It’s not clear how the cuts will impact school lunch programs in Tennessee or how local farmers will make up for the lost revenue.