Ending Federal Funding Will Hurt Urban, Rural Washington Alike

When the Trump Administration announced that federal cuts were ending the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, Save Family Farming was quick to sound the alarm.  SFF Executive Director Ben Tindall said ending this program will impact those that can least afford it.

“So cutting this funding really hurts both kind of the marginalized populations in some of our more urban or suburban areas, as well as those small farmers that really depend on that funding for an outlet to be able to get their produce to market,” Tindall said.

State Leaders Need To Help

He added Washington already faces significant food insecurity, particularly in areas around Puget Sound, where food deserts limit access to healthy, affordable food.  Tindal said food banks play an essential role in filling these gaps, ensuring those in need have access to nutritional food.  He continued that removing this funding will create greater scarcity, placing additional strain on food assistance networks, and harm vulnerable communities.

Tindall said this is an area, and a time, for state leaders to step up to be able to provide support.

“We're seeing so many regulations and higher costs be it labor costs, be it the ability to purchase fertilizers or other commodities that they need to support their operation. We're seeing those prices go up and so we need to see state legislators and statewide offices step up and be able to support these farms, help us provide a sustainable agriculture for the future, that farming can survive and thrive and not be priced out.”

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