Federal budget cuts and trade wars are sowing chaos throughout the agricultural sector. As a food hub that works directly with area farmers, Firsthand Foods is facing a lot of unknowns. But one thing is clear, the Trump Administration’s recent termination of local food procurement programs has impacted the financial well-being of our company, put small-scale, regenerative producers at greater risk, and weakened the sovereignty of our regional food system. 

If there’s one thing we learned during the pandemic, it’s that large, monolithic supply chains are fragile. To be resilient during times of uncertainty and chaos, we need to build regional supply chains that can be adaptive and nimble. This was the impetus behind two USDA initiatives launched in 2020: Local Food for Schools (LFS) and Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA). 

Over $1B was allocated across 43 states to spend over 5 years to support the purchase of fresh, local foods from small-scale farmers by food hubs, school districts, and food banks. The idea was simple – feed the most vulnerable and hungry in our communities and simultaneously build the capacity of local supply chains – farmers and allied businesses, including food hubs like Firsthand Foods. 

North Carolina is home to 11 food hubs and most of us responded to the availability of these funds by strengthening our farmer networks, increasing procurement of local foods, and building the teams and infrastructure necessary to expand distribution. Specifically, these programs enabled Firsthand Foods to provide local, pasture-raised meats to: 

• Food hubs distributing fresh food boxes to families in need (via FarmsSHARE, an LFPA-funded program)
• K-12 schools funded by LFS
• Food banks funded by LFPA 

To meet the demand, Firsthand Foods invested in a new freezer/cooler, added small-scale producers to our network and a processor to our supply chain, developed a new ready-to-heat BBQ product for schools, and expanded our distribution routes. We’ve sold close to 76,000 pounds of nutrient-dense proteins to students and hungry families in our community. 75% of the revenue generated by these sales ($477,000) has been redirected to the farmers and processors in our network, strengthening rural economies throughout North Carolina and helping to build resilient supply chains. 

Unfortunately, the second round of funding for LFS and LFPA, much of it already under contract, was recently cancelled by the Trump Administration. The loss of this funding jeopardizes some of our major contracts and while we fully intend to maintain these partnerships as best we can and are confident in our ability to pivot (we’ve done it before!), we are facing a significant decline in revenues. 

Across the country, food hubs, farmers, activists, and policymakers are urging USDA Secretary Rollins to continue the LFPA and LFS programs. The financial viability of farms and the nutrition and food security of communities fall squarely within the priorities of her department. You can help by:

• Join the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in calling on your congressperson and asking them to create permanent funding for local food purchasing through the farm bill. 
• Support organizations like Carolina Farms Stewardship Association who’s advocating to reinstate local procurement funding.
• Shop at your local farmers market and frequent retail grocery stores dedicated to local sourcing (like Durham Co-Op Market & Weaver Street Market). This is the time to use your purchasing power in support of local food businesses!