IFSC Official Statement on the Loss of LFS/LFPA Funding

March 10, 2025

The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) is deeply alarmed by the USDA’s abrupt cancellation of contracts supporting the Local Food for Schools (LFS), Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA), and Local Food for Child Care (LFCC) programs. These highly successful initiatives have played a critical role in ensuring schools, food banks, and childcare centers could purchase fresh, locally grown food from Iowa farmers.

Under the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), these programs were set to provide $2.1 billion nationally, with $11.3 million allocated to Iowa over three years. This funding directly supported Iowa’s meat, dairy, and produce farmers, helping them supply fresh food to schools, early care sites, and food pantries. Now, with the sudden termination of these programs, the progress made in connecting farms to communities is at serious risk.

We have reached out to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) for clarification and are awaiting a response. However, our contacts at the USDA Regional Food Business Center have confirmed that these programs are ending.

“It is outrageous to think that this promise to Iowa farmers, schools, food banks, and childcare centers could be broken. This could not come at a worse time. In greenhouses across Iowa, plants are already sprouting. Farmers have scheduled processing time in meat lockers, ordered seeds, and invested money—now, the rug is being pulled out from under them at the last minute.

Table food farmers live on razor-thin margins. This kind of instability is what sends farms and homes into foreclosure. We are unnecessarily uprooting the lives of farmers who have been good-faith partners in the effort to provide Iowa’s children with high-quality, nutritious food.”

— Chris Schwartz, Executive Director, Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC)

With federal support suddenly cut, Iowa farmers and food providers are left scrambling. While state programs like Choose Iowa may offer some relief, they are in no position to fill the $11.3 million gap left behind. The loss of these USDA programs threatens not only local farms but also the ability of schools, food banks, and childcare centers to provide fresh, nutritious food.

The Iowa Food System Coalition urges state and federal leaders to act swiftly to address this funding shortfall. The coalition also encourages Iowa consumers to support their local farmers by purchasing directly from farm stands, CSAs, and local food hubs.

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