In the face of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's sudden decision to end a crucial food aid program, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has launched an appeal to reinstate the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) Program. According to PACast, this program, which channels federal funds to Pennsylvania farmers for supplying fresh produce to local food banks, had its $13 million contract unexpectedly cancelled by the USDA earlier this month.

The termination of the LFPA program has raised concern among state officials and local farmers, particularly considering the program's past success. Over the last two and a half years, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has effectively distributed over $28 million from the LFPA to statewide farmers, ensuring that food banks received fresh and locally grown food. These efforts have benefitted both 189 Pennsylvania farms and 14 food banks across the Commonwealth. However, the federal government's recent actions have cut short the swing of momentum, halting the planned provision of an additional $13 million intended to sustain the program over the next three years amidst ongoing tariff-related pressures on local agriculture.

Stepping into the fray, Governor Shapiro responded to the USDA's abrupt decision by directing PDA Secretary Russell Redding to challenge what he calls an "irrational" cutoff. Farmers and food banks rely on programs like the LFPA to sustain operations and "to help them feed our most vulnerable neighbors," Governor Shapiro said during a roundtable discussion with community leaders and agricultural workers, reaffirming his administration's commitment to providing fresh, local food to Pennsylvania's food banks, as reported by PACast.