Trump Administration Cancels Local Food Funding

Minnesota farmers and kids had extra reason to celebrate October’s Farm to School and Early Care Month last year, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to distribute $1 billion in funding nationally to support local food purchasing programs, with $17.9 million coming to Minnesota over the next three years. This landmark investment would have been a game changer for our state, and stakeholders eagerly made plans to support a huge growth in local purchasing for schools, early cares and food shelves. However, it looks like the party is over: despite having signed a Cooperative Agreement for this funding in January, this month MDA was abruptly told that under the new Trump Administration the planned funding had been canceled. This decision is a devastating loss for our farmers, kids and communities who would have benefited from this support.