Federal cuts end USDA farm to school programs, Barren Co. Schools comments

GLASGOW, Ky. – The Barren County School District says it will never end farm-to-school programs, but the lack of funding does hurt its pockets.

Federal cuts to the United States Agriculture Department have caused the shutdown of the funding programs that allow schools to purchase local farm food. State agriculture departments applied for grants from the USDA, which then distributed them to the schools, which was to the tune of $3.2 million in 2024.

This loss of funding has reversed what the programs were doing, which was reinvigorating local economies and family farms.

CheyAnne Fant, the director of nutrition programs at the district, said she hopes the funding comes back at some point as she reveres it being a great benefit for all parties.

Need More Acres Farm, based in Bowling Green, recently posted to social media about the “recent and sudden loss of USDA Farm to School, Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for School funding,” which is causing it to end those programs.

“We are grateful for the progress that’s been made, and celebrating the impact Kentucky farmers, institutional buyers, and eaters accomplished together,” the farm wrote. “This work will continue, of course.”

The farm ended things with a positive message that demonstrated just what those programs brought to local schools, saying it was able to provide “locally grown potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes” to Barren County Schools for its recent Farm to Café event.

The Barren County Schools system is dedicated to providing local food and ag education to its students with or without the influx of funding – they’ll just be doing it with $60,000 less.