WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Agriculture Agency is closing two pandemic-era programs in which schools and food banks provided over $1 billion to buy food from local farmers and producers.
Of that, about $660 million went to schools and childcare centers to buy meals for schools and schools. Another program provided money to the food bank.
In Maine, the funding allowed coastal RSU 23 school districts to purchase food directly from fishermen, dairy producers and farmers for school lunches, said Caroline Trinder, district’s director of food and nutrition services.
“I think everyone can tell at school that their kids will receive the healthy food they can,” Trinder said. “It’s the least processed thing, and we support our local economy. We support farmers who may be students’ parents.”
Shannon Gleeve, president of the School Nutrition Association, said the cuts would hurt the district with the “chronically underfunded” budget.
“In addition to losing the benefits of our children, this loss of funds has been a major blow to community farmers and ranchers and is detrimental to school lunch programs that struggle to manage the growing food and labor costs,” Gleave said in a statement.
The USDA said the program is a legacy of the pandemic and no longer supports the agency’s priorities.
“The Covid era is over, and USDA’s approach to nutrition programs reflects that reality is moving forward,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement.
Massachusetts received approximately $12 million in federal funds for the district and child care programs to purchase food from local producers.
“The signals that have come out of Washington in recent weeks are clearly very disappointing,” said state education secretary Patrick Tatweiler. “There is a clear inconsistency between what is important and what is important. This cut in the LFS program is seen as the first step towards a deeper cut.”
School nutrition directors support potential rollbacks to programs that have expanded funding for school lunches.
Proposals for spending reductions to fund Republican tax bills include raising the poverty level required for schools to provide universal, free meals without applications. According to the School Nutrition Association, two proposals that limit eligibility for food assistance programs and require income confirmation for two proposals, free or reduced school lunches, could also reduce access to food for eligible families.
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