USDA cut impacts Nebraska food producers, schools

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ending its Local Food to Schools program in December.

The program was supposed to get more funding — $6.7 million for three years — to continue school partnerships and expand to child care centers next year. That continued funding is no longer happening.

More than $650,000 has been distributed through the USDA’s Local Food to Schools program in Nebraska since 2023, according to the Nebraska Department of Education. The program connects local producers and school districts to provide food from their communities for students.

“I've had some conversations with folks who have said it's going to hurt,” said Eric Savaiano, program manager for food and nutrition access at Nebraska Appleseed.

The program isn’t a huge portion of a school’s budget, Savaiano said, but it helps schools see the options nearby so they don’t always have to rely on big food chains for products.

“It really helps local economies," he said. "That's where a lot of this money is going to and it really does support, specifically the minimally-processed and local produce and beef and proteins that come from local producers.”

Almost 200 schools and districts utilized the program this school year, according to NDE.

Kyle Lammers owns KL Beef in Hartington and partners with more than 10 schools in Eastern Nebraska to provide beef to students. Lammers estimated he’s provided around 5,000 pounds of beef to schools. He said as a local provider, he can tell schools which herd their beef came from and how he processes it.

“All the way from the cooks to the person eating — everyone has been very satisfied with it,” Lammers said. “It's disappointing that a program like that came and gone that quick.”

Lammers said they were just figuring out the best way to implement the program in the different school districts. Now, he’s talking with schools and other local producers on options to keep those partnerships going.

“There has been some discussion on seeing if we can just kind of create our own type of way to create some funds to help with this because budgets are tight all over, especially with schools,” Lammers said. “Ask a school to spend a little more on this and that — it can be difficult.”

Ben Anderson, owner of Ashland Lettuce Company, is also looking for ways to continue working with the six school districts he partners with. Ashland Lettuce Company produces anywhere from 600 to 800 pounds of lettuce every week, and about 40% of what they grow goes to schools.

“Hopefully we can maintain both the learning experience and supplying them after the grants run out, but it's going to take some creative work and probably some lost margins for us,” Anderson said.

Ashland Lettuce Company has been in business for about eight months. Anderson said the schools have enjoyed the product they receive from his company, especially compared to the iceberg lettuce mixes that come from out of state that are less nutritious.

“What we've heard from our partners is the kids really enjoy the different colors and the different flavors, and it's almost a softer lettuce,” Anderson said.

The current funding will continue until December.