BRATTLEBORO-On March 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent notice terminating $660 million in funding for the national Local Foods for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program.
According to a news release, this decision pulls $1.2 million in federal grant funding that was destined to purchase local foods for Vermont schools. Fourteen schools in Windham County used this grant in the 2023-24 school year to bolster school meal programs, support local farmers, and stimulate Vermont's rural economy.
Food Connects, a local food distributor and Farm to School education nonprofit, sold $166,000 with LFSCC funding for the 2023-2024 school year. This accounted for 50% of the $333,000 spent by eligible schools during the grant period (September 2023 to June 2024).
"The impact of this loss is yet to be fully seen, but will certainly ripple throughout our communities," the nonprofit said.
According to a 2016 study by the Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont, every dollar spent on local foods contributed $1.60 back into Vermont's economy. Because of Vermont's leadership in supporting local agriculture, school momentum for purchasing foods grown from local farmers has steadily grown in the last 10 years.
Patrick Ackerman-Hovis, director of institutional sales at Food Connects, had watched this program accelerate local food spending. Speaking about his relationships with schools across southern Vermont, he said that "local food purchasing is a long-term goal, and LFSCC helped to accelerate that in some cases and for others it was really the entryway to local purchasing."
With the projected award tripling the previous year's allocation, and expanding the program to early childhood education for the first time, next year was projected to elevate local spending even further. Without these federal dollars, Food Connects says many schools will struggle to maintain the same level of local purchasing, potentially crippling the momentum built over the decade.
The LFSCC grant was instrumental in helping food service directors, many of whom are already stretched thin, incorporate more local products and appealing dishes into their menus. The program removed financial and logistical barriers, allowing schools to source high-quality Vermont products like grass-fed beef, dairy, and apples - staples that define the state's agricultural heritage.
It also introduced students to new, locally grown vegetables, fostering healthier eating habits and a deeper connection to their food sources. In addition, school meal programs that serve meals with locally grown high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients are more appealing to students and staff alike.
Susan Grabowski, food program coordinator for Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), said that "while WSESU was not relying on LFSCC funding in our budget, its loss is a significant blow to our local food hubs and farmers."
While local spending will continue for programs with an established culture of local buying, Food Connects says the loss of LFSCC funding jeopardizes the critical support buffer that made it possible for many schools to initiate this first step into local markets. This dampens the growing momentum that has provided many Vermont farmers a reliable stream of income throughout the school year.
For those school meal programs committed to purchasing locally, food service directors must now navigate how to sustain the progress they've made without federal assistance. Jake Gallogly, food service manager for Windham Central Supervisory Union (WCSU), said "the cancellation of LFSCC is a huge blow to our farm to school efforts at WCSU."
Gallogly went on to emphasize that this program did more than just provide fresh, local foods in the cafeteria.
"We utilize those funds not only to feed our students amazing produce, but also to educate them about the bounty of fruits, veggies, and meat that come from Vermont farms," he said.
Despite the setback, many Vermont schools say they remain committed to local purchasing. Schools and organizations like Food Connects will continue working to source as much as possible from regional farmers. However, without federal support, expansion will be more challenging, and for some schools purchasing local foods may not be possible.
Like many of the food service managers in Vermont that have pushed for local foods in their kitchens, cutting back on high quality foods for our children is not an option.
As Gallogly put it, "We refuse to eliminate those products from our menus, so we'll have to find another way to cover those costs."
Food Connects says it urges "policymakers and the community to advocate for renewed investment in programs like LFSCC, ensuring Vermont's students can continue to enjoy fresh, local foods while supporting the state's hardworking farmers."
For more information or to support local purchasing efforts, contact Food Connects at [email protected].
This News item was submitted to The Commons.