USDA cuts program allowing North Texas Food Bank to buy from local farmers

DALLAS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut two programs that provide millions of dollars to schools and food banks. 

The program allowed the North Texas Food Bank to buy produce and meat from local Texas farmers instead of larger companies. 

Now, that will all come to an end. 

What we know:

The Local Food Purchase Agreement Program allowed food banks to buy from small local farmers. 

The funds allowed the purchase of food produced within 400 miles to "help support local, regional and underserved producers" to provide health food for underserved communities, according to the USDA’s website.

The NTFB received $9 million from the program this year to buy locally.

Last year, the NTFB provided 106 million meals to North Texans.

Another federal program that was cut impacts states and school districts. The Local Food for Schools Program was similar to the food bank program, providing non-processed foods to schools. 

Big picture view:

States were informed on Wednesday that the USDA had cut more than $1 billion in funding for schools and food banks.

"Unlike the Biden Administration, which funneled billions in CCC funds into short-term programs with no plan for longevity, USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact. The COVID era is over—USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward," a USDA spokesperson told FOX Television Stations.

The move is part of cuts to multiple federal programs to minimize government waste led by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

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Struggling North Texans thankful for food bank giveaways as inflation soars during holidays

This time of year is always busy for food banks across DFW, but they are even busier as inflation continues to have a big impact on grocery bills. But across North Texas, there are continued efforts to make sure as many as possible have a Thanksgiving meal.

What they're saying:

Trisha Cunningham is the president of the NTFB. She’s bracing for the impact of a federal program cut by the USDA.

"Having this additional program, that was really a win-win for farmers and for the food bank and for our neighbors and the community, was vital to helping us to meet those increased needs," she said. 

Cunningham says this year’s funding from the program runs out in May.

"We still had several million dollars that we needed to spend before May. That got frozen in January," she said. "And so we went for a couple of months now, not knowing if it was going to continue, if we were even going to be able to be reimbursed."

The other side:

The federal cut creates a trickle effect, impacting people who need food assistance and also the small farmers who provided the food.

Kalah Sprabeary is with Farmyard Foods in Lubbock. They provided meat to the food bank. 

"I feel like the it's something that the USDA really needs to take a deep look at and look at how this is going to have a larger impact, not just on the food banks, the schools, but it's going to definitely have an impact on the producers, on employment, on transportation, on small processors," she said.

What's next:

The interruption in funding does not mean the shelves will go bare at the NTFB, but it will force already busy food bank officials to strategize.

"We've already placed orders in advance. So knowing that we're not going to get another round of this, we won't be able to place those orders," said Cunningham. "So we're expecting to see that farming and producer community to probably see it pretty quickly because they're not going to have those orders coming in."