RUSHVILLE, Ohio — When Gina Orr and her family joined Ohio’s Community + Agriculture + Nutrition (CAN) program in 2023, it felt like a natural fit.
The family-run operation, FreshOrr Family Farms, has long been passionate about sustainable farming. Through CAN, they found an avenue to use that passion to support neighbors in need, providing hundreds of pasture-raised chickens for local food banks. The program allows producers like the Orrs to sell food at fair market prices to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, which distributes it across the state’s 88 counties through Feeding America food banks and 3,600 partner charities.
“To be able to supply a premium product to people who can’t afford it really felt good,” Orr said in an interview.
But with the federal program set to expire this summer and no new funding on the horizon, Orr is grappling with what the future may hold, for her farm and her community.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, aimed at strengthening food systems and connecting regional farmers to underserved communities. States used the funds to launch local initiatives, like Ohio’s CAN program, which was backed by $26.5 million in funding over three years.
Last October, the USDA announced a $1.7 billion investment in LFPA to further bolster regional food systems and address ongoing food insecurity, particularly in areas still reeling from natural disasters like Hurricane Helene for what a press release at the time said had exacerbated pre-existing needs.
But now, only a few months into the second Trump administration, the USDA is reversing its course.
Earlier this year, the department confirmed it would not extend the LFPA program for another year. Orr said that decision could have deep ripple effects beyond farms like hers, which supplied around 500 pasture-raised chickens to the Logan Food Bank last year.
Raising the animals humanely on pasture costs more than conventional operations, Orr said, but the CAN program covered much of the difference, fronting approximately 50% to help with costs like feed and equipment upgrades.
“It definitely aligned with our values,” she said. “We were able to purposely grow this (and provide) these chickens that were specifically for the food bank, for our community.”
Still, she said, they always knew the support might be temporary.
“We never looked at it as our income,” she said. “It was always kind of a bonus check, that it could go away anytime.”
And now, it has.
FreshOrr’s contract in the CAN program runs through June. While Orr said they’d heard last fall there would be additional funding, they were also warned to manage their expectations of how much support there would be, as discussions were taking place about how the funds would be allocated depending on where needs were unmet in the previous year.
Once things eventually fell through, the farm was able to scale back accordingly without taking much of a hit. But Orr says she’s concerned for the families who may lose access to nutrient-dense food if the program doesn’t return.
“It was so nice being able to support our community like that,” she said, adding that if they had adequate support from lawmakers and funders, they could do more.
“Help us help each other,” she said. “We’re here to help.”
Ohio
The LFPA program supported more than 100 farmers and growers across Ohio, creating a vital market for locally grown food. But with the program’s sudden and imminent end, food banks across the state are scrambling to fill the gap while also contending with additional setbacks such as cuts to Commodity Credit Corporation funding, which supports the purchase of food for distribution through The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP. In the past, CCC dollars have helped cover expenses that food banks incur such as storing and distributing food.
A USDA spokesperson attributed the decision to sunset LFPA to shifting priorities and the winding down of emergency pandemic-era spending.
“The Biden administration inflated statutory programs with Commodity Credit Corporation dollars without any plans for long-term solutions, and even in 2024, used the pandemic as a reason to make funding announcements,” they said in a statement, adding that TEFAP has still provided $166 million in recent months to connect families with food.
As the CAN program and others fade, the landscape of food assistance in Ohio is starting to appear increasingly precarious. Joree Novotny from the Ohio Association of Food Banks noted the heightened demand for food assistance and the ongoing pressure on food banks as funding sources dwindle.
“Since February 2023, when SNAP emergency allotments ended, we saw an immediate increase in need for help because it reduced purchasing power for low-income families immediately at the grocery store,” she said.
The increase in demand has collided with the sudden expiration of federal assistance programs, forcing food banks to adapt amidst dwindling resources.
“We are purchasing more privately purchased food to keep our shelves full than we ever have,” Novotny said, warning that efforts to run leaner could lead to lower-quality, less nutritious food for those who depend on food assistance. She is also concerned by the proposed Ohio House budget, which would see $24.5 million annually for Ohio’s statewide hunger relief network, or $7.5 million less than the current budget, which expires on June 30. The House’s budget is expected to pass to the Senate on April 9.
Novotny said that for some legislators, it can be difficult to reconcile the increasing need for food assistance with indicators of economic strength.
“It’s confusing, I think, to some lawmakers… We’re talking about increased need, and they’re seeing strong employment and workforce challenges and they’re wondering, ‘Well, can we solve this by getting more people connected to work?’”
In response, Novotny emphasized the role food banks play in helping workers stay afloat in the midst of difficult circumstances, such as having to choose between fixing a car needed for work or putting food on the table. She also pointed out that food banks are serving large numbers of children, seniors and Ohioans with disabilities, groups that remain vulnerable when household budgets are stretched.
As discussions continue over the future of federal support, Novotny expressed concern about the uncertainty of funding and the importance of maximizing available resources.
“I do think that there’s a lot of concern about what’s going on at the federal level, what funding will be available over the next couple of years, (and) how to manage resources as available,” she said.
Pennsylvania
In neighboring Pennsylvania, where the abrupt cancellation of the LFPA program means the loss of $13 million over the next three years for that state’s 14 regional food banks to buy food from Pennsylvania farms, officials are trying to do just that.
Lisa Scales, president and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, noted that her organization stands to lose $1.6 million annually, or 11% of its food-purchasing budget.
At an April 2 press conference at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank headquarters in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, Scales, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and other officials gathered to discuss the challenges that would be exacerbated by federal funding cuts.
“We absolutely need the federal government for partnership,” Davis said. “There is no world where the state government can just absorb the cuts that the federal government is talking about. And I think we all just need to be very real and clear about that.”
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding further emphasized the program’s importance, stating that the LFPA had operated successfully in the state, connecting 189 farms to food banks and benefiting thousands of people.
“It was canceled without notice, saying it’s no longer part of our mission. Well, how much more fundamental is the mission of the USDA … than to feed people?” Redding questioned.
The urgency of the situation prompted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to appeal the USDA’s decision to cancel the LFPA funding, with hopes of reinstating the program to address the growing needs of food-insecure individuals. Redding said the appeal is pending.
West Virginia
As food banks brace for potential cuts while striving to provide nutritious food options, advocates like Novotny stress the dire need for additional funding to support the robust network of food assistance, as well as leaning on any relationships that can make a difference.
“I just continue to talk about how far we can stretch this public-private partnership to help people from experiencing hunger, as well as to support our farmers,” she said.
The implications of these federal and state funding decisions remain profound and underscore the necessity for partnerships in the complex work of feeding the hungry — a mission that Redding describes as “the most noble work that we can do in agriculture,” and one that Cynthia Kirkhart, executive director of the Facing Hunger Food Bank in West Virginia, describes as central to her work.
Through the LFPA program, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture allocated funds to the Facing Hunger Food Bank. But now, those dollars are gone.
In an interview, Kirkhart underscored the deep connection between funding, local agriculture and community well-being.
“The LFPA grant was invaluable to us,” she said, reflecting on how the program enabled the food bank to purchase more than a million pounds of locally grown produce, meats, dairy and fruit. “It was an incredible resource for us, for local fresh food, and for the farmers that partner with us.”
Without that support, the food bank will face major challenges.
“It’s very difficult to access the same locally grown and fresh product,” she said. “So that means I’m having to look outside of the state to try and purchase those same things, often at a higher cost due to transportation.”
Facing Hunger serves 17 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, reaching up to 170,000 people during peak demand. It also operates targeted programs, including weekly food packs for 4,000 children and medically tailored meals for people managing chronic illnesses.
Sourcing food for those it serves from out of state not only increases expenses, Kirkhart said, but also leads to more food waste, as fresh items can spoil during long transit times.
LFPA funding enabled the food bank to buy roughly $1.5 million in local food annually.
“I will have to find other funding to continue to purchase at that level, and that’s quite a hit to have an additional million five ($1.5 million) in my budget from operating funds to buy that food,” she said.
Kirkhart credited former Gov. Jim Justice with taking steps to fight hunger, including providing $500,000 annually for each of the state’s two main food banks and the creation of the $10 million Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund in 2023.
But the proposed state budget includes no new funding for those programs — only permission to carry over leftover funds for limited uses in 2026, such as food assistance through the Posey Perry fund, which would need a new appropriation to continue at last year’s level.
She spoke to Farm and Dairy in between meetings at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex where she’s been advocating for the restoration of more funding. Despite the hurdles ahead, Kirkhart said she is resolute, and she wants those who depend on the food bank to feel the same.
“I would tell them to not give up,” she said. “We are fighting every day, just like we always do, to ensure that they have the food resources and nutrition they need. And we will continue that fight every day until we achieve our goal.”
Editor Rachel Wagoner contributed to this story.
