U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling on the USDA to reverse the cancellation of local food purchase programs.
Sen. Baldwin, along with 30 other senators, has sent a letter to the USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, where they note that the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) have been vital to local communities.
The group specifically noted, “We have grave concerns that the cancellation of LFPA and LFS poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country. At a time of uncertainty in farm country, farmers need every opportunity to be able to expand market access for their products.”
They also said that as of December 2024, “the programs had supported over 8,000 producers, providing increased marketing opportunities.”
Locally, Grow it Forward has had to cut back on programming due to a lack of food. In response, the local food pantry founded the Rise Against Hunger Campaign.
The full letter to the USDA can be found at Baldwin.Senate.gov.
