$1B USDA Food Cuts Coming, Impacting Greater Rochester Food Banks

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it is cutting two programs that provide funding for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers for school lunches. The decision will suspend more than $1 billion in federal spending as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal government expenditures. Foodlink, the largest food bank in Rochester, expressed concern over the cuts but said it is prepared to continue serving those in need. “It’s never good to see programs like this cut,” said Foodlink Chief Impact Officer Mitch Gruber. Gruber emphasized the organization’s commitment to serving the community. “We are going to make sure that we’re able to maintain our service levels, both because we’re expecting the state to help fill in the gap, and because we’re working around the clock to make sure we’re prepared for cuts like this,” he said. The cuts will affect local farmers who supply fresh foods to Foodlink. Foodlink distributes approximately 24 million pounds of food annually to 150,000 people across 10 counties in Western New York. Gruber expressed concern about potential future cuts, particularly to SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

Source: 13 WHAM-TV