Breaking News: LFPA25 and Local Food for Schools Terminated
Local food bank officials are devastated.
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Days ago, the US government cut LFPA25 out of existence.
On Friday, March 7, USDA Marketing Service sent a termination notice to Tennessee Department of Agriculture's leadership.
"This letter serves as written notification that the subject agreement ... will be terminated 70 days from today's date," it reads.
The Local Food Purchase Assistance 2025 Cooperative Agreement (LFPA25) was the third in a series of federally-funded programs that supported farmers, food banks and hungry families.
The funding cuts total $1 billion, Politico reported today, as the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program has also been terminated.
The original LFPA gave Tennessee $8.2 million in funding which was distributed among our state's five food banks, allowing new funds to purchase and distribute local food from regional growers.
Like fresh apples. Honey. Eggs. Beef. Tons of produce.
"We partnered with five regional food banks to implement the grant, which resulted in more than 115 farms providing fresh food to more than 300 organizations," said Kim Doddridge, TDA's public information officer.
Locally, LFPA funding allowed the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to use $800,000 to partner with regional farmers.
"We were able to work with seven farms and distribute food through 38 hunger relief partner organizations," said food bank officials.
Farmers agreed.
"Now, food banks could build direct relationships with local farmers, feeding people in need with the freshest, most nutritious food possible and the farmers could increase profitability and even expand production to meet the needs," said Sequatchie Cove Farm's Kelsey Keener. "For us, this was incredible."
In 2023, 49 states and 28 tribes received similar funding, creating an immeasurably effective coast-to-coast program that helped local farmers, food banks and American families.
Nearly all of the same states and tribes applied for LFPA Plus funding. (Not Tennessee, but that's another story told here.)
In December 2024, the USDA Marketing Service announced the third and latest round of funding: LFPA25.
On March 7, it was all slashed down. Prior LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements will still be honored.
Even the website link - once replete with LPFA25 info - had been scrubbed clean.
Local food bank officials are devastated.
"This isn’t the first funding decision out of Washington D.C. in the last couple months to impact the food bank, and it almost certainly won’t be the last," said Jeannine Carpenter, chief communications officer for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
"This decision stings in a different way.
"LFPA was the best of a federal program," she continued. "It touched the most essential parts of our food systems – the growers and producers, as well as the local community members who enjoyed these goods . It helped people stay connected to the agriculture of their communities, and it allowed farmers and growers to feed the people in their communities who needed that nourishment the most. Everyone benefitted from the LFPA program. We were all better for it, and we will continue to be better for it as we wrap up the current grant cycle."
Two things concerned regional citizens can do:
Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in partnering with us? Email: david@foodasaverb.com
This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.
food as a verb thanks our sustaining partner:
food as a verb thanks our story sponsor:
Tucker Build
WE PLAN | WE MANAGE | WE BUILD
Days ago, the US government cut LFPA25 out of existence.
On Friday, March 7, USDA Marketing Service sent a termination notice to Tennessee Department of Agriculture's leadership.
"This letter serves as written notification that the subject agreement ... will be terminated 70 days from today's date," it reads.
The Local Food Purchase Assistance 2025 Cooperative Agreement (LFPA25) was the third in a series of federally-funded programs that supported farmers, food banks and hungry families.
The funding cuts total $1 billion, Politico reported today, as the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program has also been terminated.
The original LFPA gave Tennessee $8.2 million in funding which was distributed among our state's five food banks, allowing new funds to purchase and distribute local food from regional growers.
Like fresh apples. Honey. Eggs. Beef. Tons of produce.
"We partnered with five regional food banks to implement the grant, which resulted in more than 115 farms providing fresh food to more than 300 organizations," said Kim Doddridge, TDA's public information officer.
Locally, LFPA funding allowed the Chattanooga Area Food Bank to use $800,000 to partner with regional farmers.
"We were able to work with seven farms and distribute food through 38 hunger relief partner organizations," said food bank officials.
Farmers agreed.
"Now, food banks could build direct relationships with local farmers, feeding people in need with the freshest, most nutritious food possible and the farmers could increase profitability and even expand production to meet the needs," said Sequatchie Cove Farm's Kelsey Keener. "For us, this was incredible."
In 2023, 49 states and 28 tribes received similar funding, creating an immeasurably effective coast-to-coast program that helped local farmers, food banks and American families.
Nearly all of the same states and tribes applied for LFPA Plus funding. (Not Tennessee, but that's another story told here.)
In December 2024, the USDA Marketing Service announced the third and latest round of funding: LFPA25.
On March 7, it was all slashed down. Prior LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements will still be honored.
Even the website link - once replete with LPFA25 info - had been scrubbed clean.
Local food bank officials are devastated.
"This isn’t the first funding decision out of Washington D.C. in the last couple months to impact the food bank, and it almost certainly won’t be the last," said Jeannine Carpenter, chief communications officer for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
"This decision stings in a different way.
"LFPA was the best of a federal program," she continued. "It touched the most essential parts of our food systems – the growers and producers, as well as the local community members who enjoyed these goods . It helped people stay connected to the agriculture of their communities, and it allowed farmers and growers to feed the people in their communities who needed that nourishment the most. Everyone benefitted from the LFPA program. We were all better for it, and we will continue to be better for it as we wrap up the current grant cycle."
Two things concerned regional citizens can do:
Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in partnering with us? Email: david@foodasaverb.com
This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.
Food as a verb thanks our story sponsor:
Food as a Verb Thanks our sustaining partner:
WE PLAN | WE MANAGE | WE BUILD
