The Trump administration is withholding about $1.7 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture aid that was supposed to fund local food programs for schools and organizations that assist low-income Vermonters.
found out on Friday that the federal government would not honor agreements that were already in place through the Biden administration for the three programs that were supposed to help supply locally grown Vermont produce into schools and child care centers, food shelves and through grant-funded community supported agriculture shares. The programs won鈥檛 be able to continue without the federal funds.
鈥淭his was a tremendously successful program both for our farmers, but also for those that were getting the food 鈥� those in need,鈥� said Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 disappointing that it鈥檚 been halted.鈥�
In its letter to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, USDA said, 鈥渢his agreement no longer effectuates agency priorities and that termination of the award is appropriate.鈥�
This program puts money in the pockets of local farmers. It puts healthy food in the bellies of people who need it. And it creates a community around the local agriculture. ... That seems like the best investment to me.Gus Griffin, Glinnis Hill Farm
The loss of the funding for the 2025 growing season was part of an announcement from the Trump administration that it was cancelling about $1 billion across the country for the local food programs.
Gus Griffin, who runs in Northfield, received $20,000 that helped subsidize 50 CSA shares for some of his customers who might otherwise be unable to afford his produce.
And he was disappointed to learn this week that the Trump administration was going to withhold this year鈥檚 payment.
鈥淭his program puts money in the pockets of local farmers. It puts healthy food in the bellies of people who need it,鈥� Griffin said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 see the value in feeding people and paying farmers, then my question is, 鈥榃hat is a good investment?鈥� That seems like the best investment to me.鈥�
Over the past few years, Vermont received about $1 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, which was distributed to 20 organizations that purchased Vermont-grown produce and meat and helped get it to underserved communities.
Since 2022, the program allowed 80 farms to sell their food at 60 different sites across the state, according to the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
Over the past two years the state also received, which helped move local food through four food hubs in the state.
The program gave school districts grants to purchase Vermont-grown produce and meat, which might otherwise be financially challenging for school districts, said Patrick Ackerman-Hovis, director of institutional sales at Food Connects, a food hub in Brattleboro that worked with almost 40 schools in southern Vermont.
Ackerman-Hovis said the grants encouraged schools to try new foods like local beef, and helped make connections in farm-to-school programs that try to teach Vermont students about their local food systems.
鈥淲e were working under the assumption that this was happening,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e were organizing the food hubs, Agency of Ag., Agency of Education to coordinate this coming year.鈥�
The agriculture agency said every school district in the state received free local food through the program, and 71 schools were able to serve local food for the first time.
A third program, which was going to support local food in child care centers, was set to kick off this year, and Vermont expected to receive $277,850 for the child care centers.
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