Alabama farmers will no longer receive $16.1 million in grant funding for federal programs that provide fresh, locally grown products in school cafeterias and food banks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ended the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program in the state. Since 2022, $14.5 million in grants have been distributed to about 60 farmers. The cuts are part of a nationwide reduction of over $1 billion in funding for these programs, which were deemed as nonessential by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program aimed to purchase food directly from farmers and distribute it to schools. The loss of funding has been met with disappointment by members of the Alabama School Nutrition Association, who were advocating for the programs on Capitol Hill this week. The association’s acting president, Cacyce Davis, emphasized the importance of serving locally grown produce in schools and expressed concern over how the loss of funding will impact Alabama’s ability to provide fresh, local food to students.
Despite the setback, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is seeking a $50,000 increase in funding for its Farm to School Program in 2026 to continue supporting locally sourced food initiatives. The state’s farmers and school systems are hoping for alternative solutions to fill the gap left by the federal funding cuts.
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