Despite cuts to federal programs aimed at bringing locally-grown food into school cafeterias across Iowa occurring roughly a year ago, local leaders continue to feel the impact on how food moves from arms to classrooms and community programs.
Partnerships between schools and local farmers have helped bring locally grown food into cafeterias across Iowa. Federal programs aimed at supporting those connections expanded that effort until their recent elimination.
Two U.S. Department of Agriculture initiatives — the Local Food for Schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance program — were terminated in May 2025, cutting millions of dollars in federal funding that helped schools, food banks, and farmers work together…