Recently, USDA announced the cancellation of two very popular and impactful local food programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) cooperative agreements. In Kentucky, these programs financed purchasing food from local farmers for food assistance programs and school meals. Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture received $11,035,420 for LFPA purchases and $3.2 million for LFS.
If these programs have helped you as a farmer, Community Farm Alliance (CFA) wants to hear from you. Your experience highlights how these programs benefit farmers—and will help us advocate for keeping federal investment into local food systems.
https://forms.monday.com/forms/88f66b9b7d089d9125741d42249e30c2?r=use1
bit.ly – bit.ly/lfpa-lfs-stories
If you would like to share your LFPA or LFS story from your own platforms, please consider linking your story to our campaign. In your post (either photo and text or short video), include the following questions to share your experience:
- What is your farm name and location?
- What was your interaction with LFPA and/or LFS?
- How did LFPA and/or LFS investments impact your farming operation? For example, did your sales increase? Did you employ more help? Did you expand production? Did you invest in new equipment?
- What do you want USDA leadership to know about investing in local food systems and the farmers who fuel them?
- Include the phrase “I am a Kentucky farmer. LFPA/LFS helped me grow.”
Tag Community Farm Alliance’s pages:
Facebook @communityfarmalliance,
and use the following hashtags: #KentuckyLFPAstory #KentuckyLFSstory
Tag the USDA’s secretary of agriculture: on instagram: @brookelrollins on X: @SecRollinsFor LFPA, also use these hashtags: #KYLFPA #KYLFPACommunityChampion #KYLFPAFeedsFamilies #KYLFPASupportsLocal