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Ayurella Horn-Muller works at Grist, while Naveena Sadasivam serves as a senior writer at the same publication.
This article was originally published by Grist.
Every Friday for the past eighteen months, Mark Broyles has taken a drive from Big Stone Gap to Duffield, Virginia, collecting two boxes of complimentary food. While the contents vary, Broyles appreciates receiving “fresh produce and items that many people can’t afford due to high grocery prices,” as he puts it.
The boxes, sourced from Appalachian Sustainable Development—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting local farmers and providing food to public schools and grocery stores—often contain lean meats, milk, and a diverse range of seasonal vegetables.
This initiative has proven critical for Broyles, who cannot work following a shoulder injury in 2022. As he cares for his mother, who has also sustained an injury making cooking difficult, the variety of food he receives allows him to explore new recipes. Meals like chicken casseroles, apple dump cobbler, and roasted squash not only feed Broyles’ family of four but also extend to his mother and her husband. On occasions, he has shared any unclaimed boxes with neighbors.
“The food isn’t just nutritionally beneficial; it fosters community connections,” Broyles stated. “It’s not just about having something to eat. It’s about quality food and the relationships it helps build.”
Situated in the mountainous southwestern region of Virginia, Big Stone Gap has a population of 5,254, as recorded in the 2020 census. The area is historically rooted in coal mining, and a significant majority of the residents supported President Donald Trump in the last election.
Recently, heavy rainfall and flooding impacted the region significantly. While Broyles’s home weathered the worst of it, he remains anxious about future flooding due to his property’s location near a river that swells with rain.
Shortly after the flooding, Appalachian Sustainable Development faced funding uncertainties. They learned that the USDA’s financial support for their initiatives would experience delays, with only a portion of a $1.5 million grant expected to be reimbursed. Additionally, a critical program they relied on for future funding was unexpectedly discontinued by the USDA. This prompted the nonprofit to terminate the food box program about a week ago.
Sylvia Crum, the development director, lamented the emotional toll on the thousands in Central Appalachia who benefit from their services and the 40 local farmers losing income. “We simply lack the financial resources,” Crum explained, noting that about $30,000 is needed weekly to fill the 2,000 food boxes they were distributing.
Food insecurity has plagued the region for years, with statistics showing areas, including parts of Kentucky, experiencing food insecurity rates over twice the national average. Recent disasters have exacerbated the situation, elevating demand for their programs to unprecedented levels.
“This region has suffered through numerous disasters, from hurricanes to mudslides and tornadoes. Our farmers and our communities are in distress, and people are hungry,” Crum lamented, describing the experience as an “emotional rollercoaster.”
For decades, the USDA has supported programs aimed at combating food insecurity, a crisis intensified by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising grocery costs. Many food banks, pantries, and nonprofits across the country, including Appalachian Sustainable Development, heavily rely on federal funding for their survival. Unfortunately, recent political changes have thrown these financial arrangements into disarray.
The USDA has halted contracts with various farmers and nonprofits, suspended funding for ongoing programs, and laid off employees, subsequently reinstated by court orders. Experts express concern that these funding cuts diminish the resources available to combat increasing hunger levels.
The USDA administers funds for many food aid programs, some of which have existed for decades. These initiatives, including the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, collectively aid nonprofits to procure food from small farms and distribute to those in need.
In recent weeks, the USDA has significantly reduced funding for food programs, prompting Grist to investigate the aftereffects by contacting state agriculture departments across nine states.
Future funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program has been canceled, which was projected to distribute $1.13 billion this fiscal year to states and emergency food suppliers. Moreover, seven other programs have also frozen their funds, impacting operations across the country.
In particular, major food banks, like the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, have experienced funding losses from The Emergency Food Assistance Program, significantly disrupting their ability to provide essential food supplies.
The USDA has ceased funding shipments of “bonus commodities,” which typically enhance monthly allocations to food organizations. These bonuses have been crucial for food banks throughout the country, particularly during urgent needs driven by emergencies.
Northern Illinois Food Bank’s senior policy manager, Robert Desio, shared that without these shipments, there would be a drastic reduction in food quality and quantity available to around 570,000 residents who depend on their support.
The combined loss of various program funding spells disaster for the food banks, which are already under immense pressure to meet rising food demands. Desio noted a pervasive lack of clarity about the situation from both state and federal levels.
Teon Hayes, a policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, cautioned that these funding disruptions will create “shockwaves” across the nation, particularly as the demand for charitable food supplies continues to rise. Hayes pointed out that Congressional Republicans are pursuing significant cuts to nutrition program funding, which could further destabilize local food systems.
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s CEO, Joe Arthur, echoed similar concerns. He reported that the cancellation of funding represents about 12 percent of their monthly food budget, crippling their ability to provide essential goods.
As funding dries up, they are forced to abandon initiatives critical for securing fresh, locally sourced food for vulnerable populations over a broad area.
“We’re aggressively seeking food donations, but the lost federal funds are irreplaceable,” Arthur stated.
State agricultural departments reported receiving tens of millions in USDA funding for food aid. For instance, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has received over $55 million to combat hunger within the state, emphasizing the critical role of federal assistance for households in need.
“Cuts to funding will genuinely compromise our ability to support families facing food insecurity,” remarked a spokesperson from the Pennsylvania agriculture department.
Neither Feeding America nor the USDA responded to requests for comment regarding these urgent issues.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, in a recent interview, asserted the administration’s intent to safeguard farmers, emphasizing an approach focused on trade rather than addressing domestic food security challenges. Critics have pointed out that tariff measures implemented by the Trump administration have adversely affected American farmers.
When questioned about the rationale for the cuts, Rollins argued that past funding had not effectively reached its intended audiences and claimed that the current adjustments focus on removing “nonessential” spending.
The withdrawal of USDA funding not only hampers food banks and pantries in accessing necessary resources but has also led to operational cuts within some affected organizations. For example, 4P Foods in Virginia is facing a loss of around $4 million, resulting in layoffs for several staff members previously engaged in relief operations.
“We work with families in Virginia who depend on our assistance, and it’s disheartening to see them lose support due to funding cuts,” lamented 4P Foods’ founder, Tom McDougall.
Despite the challenges, McDougall holds onto some hope that the administration might reconsider these decisions, emphasizing the need for established supply chains in the face of increasing climate-related emergencies.
“When the next disaster occurs, having locally sourced food accessible will be imperative,” he remarked, stressing the urgency of dialogue surrounding community resilience alongside economic considerations.
For individuals like Broyles, the discontinuation of the food box program necessitates a reevaluation of food sourcing for his family. While he can utilize frozen goods for now, he worries about the future, contemplating alternatives that may not include fresh produce.
“Mountain folks take pride in their self-sufficiency,” Broyles explained. “Though we may hesitate to accept help, the necessity becomes clear, especially when programs like this are at risk. I hope leaders recognize the importance of these resources and adopt a more meticulous approach to managing cuts.”
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