A list from the department shows tribal nations in Oklahoma and the state itself with funding awards through the local food purchase cooperative agreement programs.
The USDA has canceled the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and child care institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or in 400 miles of delivery destinations.
A USDA spokesperson said in an email the department has provided notice to territories, states and tribal governments that programs are no longer available and the agreements will be terminated 60 days after the notification.
“These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency,” the spokesperson wrote. “LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance.”
The department’s Agricultural Marketing Service will continue processing claims for activities done through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Program before and after Jan. 20, the USDA spokesperson wrote.
Chris Bernad, president and CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, a food advocacy group, said the money allows entities to buy directly from local producers to provide fresher and healthier food that tends to be more expensive and harder to source. He said the state and multiple tribal nations receive local food-purchasing money.
Oklahoma tribes and tribal nations such as the Choctaw Nation and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes have funding awards in certain local food purchasing cooperative agreement programs, according to an awards table.
“We think losing somewhere between $12 and $25 million, depending on what actually is being cut versus will be allowed to get paid out,” Bernard said. “Which has significant impacts, honestly, primarily on local food systems and farmers.”
Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said in a statement her organization is “deeply disappointed” by the decision to cancel the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.
“This funding has enabled us to purchase and distribute fresh, nutritious food to the communities we serve,” Dykstra said in the statement. “The loss of this program will significantly impact our ability to meet the increasing demand for food assistance, especially as more families face food insecurity. We urge lawmakers and stakeholders to reconsider this decision and support critical programs that ensure no one goes hungry.”
Randy Sachs, a spokesperson for the Choctaw Nation, said his tribe has a grant totaling $1.7 million that is canceled.
The nation has several feeding programs and distributed food to thousands of citizens in 2024. Sachs points out the nation still has a $4.5 million program that will remain in effect.
Late last week, the Cherokee Nation was notified the USDA canceled a grant of $3.5 million in the LFPA for fiscal year 2025. Shella Bowlin, Secretary of State of the Cherokee Nation, said in a statement the nation is obviously disappointed.
“This was a program that provided healthy foods grown from local farmers for our Cherokee elders,” Bowlin said in the statement. “We are now evaluating next steps but think it’s a worthwhile program.”
Cheyenne and Arapaho Governor Reggie Wassana said in a statement both programs were terminated, resulting in the elimination of two full-time positions and the loss of $300,000.
“Originally a three-year grant, we had spent more than $500,000,” Wassana said in a statement. “Even more so, these monies were used to purchase meat and fresh produce from local farmers, the heart of Oklahoma and our Nation. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will continue to provide services, but these eliminated programs hurt both tribal and non-tribal Oklahomans.”
State officials say they will continue to try to ensure people can access local foods.
“As we learn about changes to federal programs, ODAFF will continue to work with stakeholders and partners at all levels to explore opportunities that benefit both local producers and Oklahoma consumers,” said Kirsten Hollansworth, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry, in a statement. “Interest in local foods is at an all-time high, and it is a priority for our agency to further market opportunities for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and access to those options for all Oklahomans.”
Bernard of Hunger Free Oklahoma said the programs were designed around the COVID-19 pandemic to build a more resilient food system and to support local food options. He said if support is pulled, the infrastructure that’s become vital to food banks and schools will retract.
Although Bernard said the money might not sound like a lot compared to other food assistance safety nets such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, school meals and summer meals, it still adds up.
Bernard said, considering the recent budget proposal eyeing about $230 billion in cuts to the agriculture committee, he is concerned.
“But that's kind of what's happening right now, is little cuts, without a lot of thought as to that long term impact or combined impact that will ultimately really shake the foundation of some of these systems,” Bernard said.
