The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of $11.3 million in grants distributed to Iowa farmers, schools, food pantries, and child care centers affected access to locally sourced produce and meat. 

President Donald Trump’s administration decided to cancel the Local Food for Schools program, among others aimed at providing grants to provide fresh produce to schools, food pantries, and childcare centers as they look to slash federal spending and eliminate the federal deficit. 

The Local Food for Schools program, or LFS, is a federal program that provides funding to states to help schools purchase local and regional foods. Its main goals are to increase local food consumption in schools, expand economic opportunities for local producers, and improve supply chain resilience.

The LFS program provided funding to schools for the purchase of locally grown foods, including produce and meat. A similar program, Local Food Purchasing Assistance, or LFPA, was designed to assist food banks and pantries in acquiring fresh, nutritious foods for distribution.

This choice was made in spite of USDA’s October 2024 pledge to continue these programs until 2028, with an investment of $11.3 million planned for Iowa alone between 2025 and 2028.

Over the past three years, these initiatives have helped to alter Iowa’s food system by providing over $7.8 million for purchases at food banks and schools.

All of the work that farmers, food hubs, schools, and food banks have made via infrastructure, connections, and improved output around these programs is now in danger of being undone by the sudden termination.

The cancellation of the LFP and the Local Food for Schools and Child Care, or LFSCC, agreements is projected to cost Iowa $11.3 million in fiscal 2025. 

The elimination of the Emergency Food Assistance Program will strip $3.9 million in aid from low-income families across the state. 

These cuts not only threaten food security for vulnerable populations but also adversely affect Iowa farmers and local producers who supply fresh, U.S.-grown food.

In an interview with The Daily Iowan, Luke Elzinga, the policy and advocacy manager at the DMARC Food Pantry network, said while the LFS program primarily served institutions like schools and, more recently, childcare centers, the LFPA program was aimed at supporting food banks and pantries throughout Iowa. 

According to Elzinga, some pantries received direct funding, but the majority relied on their partnerships with food banks to access those resources. He said that fresh foods like produce, meat, milk, and eggs were among the most sought-after items provided through LFPA, resources that will now be significantly reduced.

Elzinga added that food hubs, which aggregate products from local farms, were instrumental in the success of these programs.

“Instead of schools needing to find a bunch of different farms, they could just purchase from the food hubs,” Elzinga said. 

The termination of both programs has left many organizations scrambling.

“We’re seeing more people than we ever have before, so it could not come at a worse time,” Elzinga said. 

He also said DMARC still purchases produce, but much of it is sourced from wholesalers, not local growers. 

Despite the setbacks, Elzinga and his colleagues are advocating for state-level solutions. 

The Iowa Hunger Coalition and the Iowa Food System Coalition have urged lawmakers to expand funding for the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Program, a state initiative launched last year to support local food sourcing.

“Get involved and see if you can make change close to home, in your own school, and community,” Elzinga added.

RELATED: USDA searches for summer food project sponsors as summer approaches

Don McDowell, the communications director and public information officer for Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, said in an email to the DI it is hardly surprising that a program that was introduced by executive action in Oct. 2024 instead of being mandated by legislation will not be extended past its initial expiration date. 

“Our producers and communities value programs that build connections between Iowa farmers, food hubs, food banks, and schools,” McDowell said. “The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will continue to pursue future opportunities to grow markets for local farmers and Iowa grown and raised foods.”

The cancellation of the USDA’s LFS grant has raised concerns among school nutrition leaders in Iowa City.

The LFS grant had provided approximately $8,000 to the Iowa City Community School District, which was used to source fresh, locally grown produce for school meals.

Allison Demory, a representative from the school district’s nutrition services, said while the funding loss is disappointing, their commitment to local purchasing remains strong. 

“Even though we’re no longer receiving the grant, we’ll continue to buy local produce,” she said. “Our students benefit from fresh, healthy food, and it also helps local farmers, there’s a clear ripple effect when that support is lost.”

The district serves around 9,000 meals each day, and careful planning with local partners like Field to Family ensures farmers grow crops that the schools can use.

“We meet with them in advance to talk about what we’ll need so they can plant accordingly,” Demory said. “It’s a great example of collaboration.”

While larger districts like Iowa City may have the resources to continue such purchasing even without grant funding, Demory expressed concern that smaller school districts might not be able to do the same. 

Field to Family, a nonprofit involved in the local food hub and procurement system, plays a key role in connecting schools to farmers. 

“They help secure our local produce and make it available to the wider community,” Demory said. “But without this funding, I worry about their ability to keep doing that work.”