ESSEX, Iowa (KMTV) — Local Food for Schools and Local Food for Pantries are U.S. Department of Agriculture programs intended to connect small farmers with local markets for their products. Instead of coming from other states or other countries, the ag products were raised close to home.
- The Trump Administration canceled the local food programs, which had been in place since the pandemic.
- Farm Table Delivery in Harlan distributed dairy, meat, eggs, and produce to schools and food pantries in the region: “This is really a disruption in the whole system. We’re going to have crops that were planted through this, rot in the fields.”
- Shad Swanson is a small-scale producer farmer: “The USDA program was probably one of the better programs the government was involved in. Cutting it is going to be detrimental to a lot of people.”
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Shad Swanson: “The different colors would be different sets of vegetables.”
In about a week, Essex farmer Shad Swanson will be in this field planting vegetables.
I’m your Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter Katrina Markel.
I’m here because money that Shad had counted on from the USDA to help feed his neighbors, is now going away.
“I basically just wanted to feed people,” he said.
Shad’s been able to support himself with just one acre. A big part of his income came from a USDA program that provided locally grown food to schools and food pantries. Now, that’s all been cancelled by the new administration.
“It definitely would have helped me feed more people,” said Swanson. “More pantries and more schools and more childcare centers.”
He grew up on this conventional farm and his dad still operates it. A few years ago, Shad moved back and started growing vegetables.
“Garden of Paradise is what I call my business,” he said. “Kind of in the middle of nowhere.”
His produce goes to farmers markets and is delivered to housebound, low-income neighbors. Plants, herbs and spices also make up part of the business.
“I think it’s a viable opportunity for people to earn a living in Iowa and help improve the local economy,” he said.
Michelle Dill is the executive director of Farm Table Delivery in Harlan. It distributes local products including to the USDA’s local food for schools and pantries program.
“Everything about those programs really seems to fit in with what the new administration was saying was their new priorities,” Dill said.
The farm-to-school program was renewed in October. Dill hoped the Trump administration’s focus on protecting domestic supply chains would work in its favor. Instead, she’s having hard conversations with producers.
“This is really a disruption in the whole system. We’re going to have crops that were planted through this, rot in the fields,” she said.
“The USDA program was probably one of the better programs the government was involved in,” Swanson said. “Cutting it is going to be detrimental to a lot of people.”
Shad says he’ll still be able to sell his product, but he’ll like lose about 10,000 dollars compared to last year.
