MANCHESTER, NH – The U.S. Agriculture Department is ending two pandemic-era programs that provided more than $1 billion nationally for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers.
The program cuts include the New Hampshire Food Bank.
A statement issued by the USDA read in part, “As a pandemic-era program, Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) will now be sunsetted at the end of the performance period … The COVID era is over – USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward.”
As reported by WMUR, the cuts include the New Hampshire Feeding New Hampshire program, which provides fresh produce, protein, and dairy products to a network of over 400 partner agencies including food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools and after-school programs, senior centers, and others providing food assistance throughout the state.
Dominique Rust, of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, which operates the NH Food Bank, told WMUR that the nearly $1 million in funding awarded to New Hampshire was supposed to last through 2028.
“This funding loss affects our agencies. It affects the farmers as well as those who are obviously food insecure throughout New Hampshire,” said Rust.
In addition to the loss of federal funding, the Food Bank has learned that food they purchase from Canadian vendor Western Harvest will be subject to tariffs, meaning a 7-15% increase in costs, effective immediately.
In the current agreement with the NH Department of Agriculture, the Food Bank and its partners purchased from 250 local producers, with 50% of funding spent on produce and at least 35% spent on dairy products and protein including meat, eggs, and fish.
At least 10% of funds are used to purchase foods that NH Feeding NH identifies as culturally relevant to the state’s immigrant communities.
Below is a downloadable USDA chart of the LFPA awards that are being cut by state, including NH.