Food banks and schools across Pennsylvania have long bought fresh, local food from nearby farms to nourish the people they serve. This symbiotic relationship provides low-income families and individuals with fresh, healthy food and farmers with a reliable economic channel. However, recent federal cuts have eliminated two programs that have enabled these purchases, impacting services to those with food insecurity and the programs’ cooperating farmers.
Funding for The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, totaling $1 billion in anticipated funds, will vanish nationwide. Pennsylvania utilized both of these programs, and its citizens will experience the effects of their cancellations. We spoke with representatives from state food banks to learn more about how these changes will impact their services and the farmers who have counted on this agreement.
The Local Food Programs
Consuming local foods, like any local products, empowers local communities. It’s an investment in the economy, land, food systems and people of a region. Local farms, orchards and gardens provide us with access to real, healthy food, as long as we collectively and consciously choose their products over imported and processed goods.
Both the LFPA and LFS programs fell under the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). This fund, established in 1933, has the purpose of “stabilizing, supporting, and protecting farm income and prices,” while helping to maintain and distribute agricultural commodities.
These programs intentionally connected with a mix of vendors that included smaller farms and disadvantaged farmers, supporting a resilient, sustainable food system by supporting a wider network growing a biodiverse array of foods. In a time when the total number of U.S. farms is on the decline, while existing farms are growing in size, this approach helps to diversify consumer options and strengthen the valuable small business sector within the agricultural industry.
Through LFPA, Pennsylvania’s charitable food system has worked with 40 farms, producers and food companies across the state, including 10 underserved vendors, to feed the 1.5 million people in need across all 67 counties. This includes working families, children, seniors, veterans and active-duty personnel facing food insecurity.
Similarly, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs have used LFS to procure fresh, unprocessed foods and beverages for students unique to their geographical area, designing food programs connected to local needs and seasonal harvests. The LFS program has focused on small business and disadvantaged vendors, connecting schools and organizations with farmers and producers growing, raising and making goods in Pennsylvania.
The School District of Philadelphia was given the opportunity to opt into the program for the first time in 2025. Communications Officer Christina Clark shares, “We were anticipating funding to purchase unprocessed or minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced, domestic food products.”
The Impact of Cuts
During a time of rising inflation and food prices, cuts to funding and programs for underserved communities can be especially challenging. These cuts force food banks to try to feed growing numbers of people with fewer resources.
Charla Irwin-Buncher, Chief External Affairs Officer at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank says, “The cut to USDA’s Local Food Purchase Agreement funding will result in our organization losing $1.6 million dollars annually to purchase roughly two million pounds of eggs, milk and meat products from Pennsylvania farms and manufacturers. The critical funding has been used to provide staple food items to individuals and families through our network of food pantries and partner programs throughout our 11-county service area.”
Jennifer Brillhart, President and CEO of the York County Food Bank and chair of Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, shared similar concerns, saying, “The cuts to these programs will severely affect our ability to provide fresh, nutritious food to those in need. Many families rely on the support we offer through these initiatives, and without this funding, we anticipate a substantial increase in food insecurity. Our programs will struggle to meet the demand, and we may have to reduce the variety and quantity of food distributed.”
The cuts also impact schools serving children and teens food through free and reduced price breakfast and lunch programs. School Food Authorities (SFAs) have used these funds to access local and regional foods to feed kids, and will now have fewer options.
The impact of food insecurity extends beyond the discomfort of hunger to malnutrition, chronic health conditions, mental health issues and poor immune function. It also impacts one’s ability to lead a happy, healthy life. Those experiencing food insecurity may have trouble with productivity at work, paying attention at school and social stigma.
Finally, farmers, particularly socially disadvantaged and small business farmers, will feel this pinch. Brillhart says, “We work closely with several local farms, and these cuts will disrupt the vital relationships we’ve built. Local farmers depend on the consistent demand from these programs to sustain their operations. The loss of funding means fewer purchases from these farms.”
Farmers who planned this year’s harvests and income around the agreement are sure to feel the impact of its abrupt cancellation. They are left with very little time to line up alternate sales outlets, or to grow produce that meets other local demands.
How to Help
There are ways that you can help to reinforce the safety nets, resources and outlets for our neighbors in Pennsylvania, particularly the farmers and food banks in your community.
You can start with these five ways to support farmers, eight ideas for taking hunger action and five everyday ways to build food security.
Irwin-Buncher says, “Food Banks like ours rely on both government support and private donations to feed our community. It’s an important time to support Food Banks both financially and through advocacy. We encourage Pennsylvanians to support their local food bank and reach out to their elected officials in Washington D.C. and Harrisburg to help elevate food insecurity as an issue that should be top of mind. Too many of our neighbors continue to struggle with high costs for all household expenses, including groceries.”
Brillhart also offers the following suggestions:
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Donations: Financial contributions allow us to purchase food in bulk and cover operational costs.
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Food Drives: Organizing food drives can help replenish our supplies with non-perishable items.
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Volunteering: Volunteers are essential for sorting, packing, and distributing food.
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Advocacy: Raising awareness about the importance of these programs and advocating for their reinstatement can make a significant difference.
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Farmers can always use support, too. You can invest in their work and in your own local food system by shopping farmers markets, farm stands, food co-ops, pick-your-own events and CSAs.
We are grateful to the people and organizations leading the way to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have what they need to feel nourished, healthy and happy.
- Feature, first, third and fourth photos: Bigstock
- LFPA image: USDA
- Other photo: Greater Pittsburgh Area Food Bank
