Will Trump plan to cut federal food bank program harm Ohio farmers? Local leaders split

A dry spell is coming for some Columbus area farmers as federal funding for a local food program is expected to evaporate.

But, local farm leaders are split when it comes to just how much their own operations —or those of the farmers they represent— could be hurt

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently canceled money for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).

The program supplies assistance to local food banks, schools and organizations in underserved communities that often buy produce and other products directly from area farms. While some LFPA agreements will continue, there may not be another round of funding available this year, USA Today reported.

To Bryn Bird, president of the advocacy group the Ohio Farmers Union, the funding cuts are a blow to local growers who may now struggle to find a buyer for their produce. Bird herself said her family's farm, Bird's Haven Farms near Granville, already had 50 pounds of spinach last week that it struggled to sell because of the program ending.

"Having that type of support was a huge win. I'm pretty disappointed as a farmer," Bird said. "We've kind of cut our legs out from under us."

While the program benefitted local farmers, Bird said it also did a lot to boast local food supplies.

It's important, Bird said, that Ohioans and Americans get their food from the country they live in. If Americans are dependent on food imports from other countries, Bird argued it's a national security risk.

And, Bird said with the ending of the the program, it's likely farmers will need to scale back leading to more dependency on foreign produce.

"This need is still going to be there," Bird said. "Instead of building out our local food supply chains, those dollars will just get rerouted... This was a way to keep those dollars in the U.S., to keep them local."

While Bird is worried about the ramifications of the canceled funding, not every farmer is so concerned.

John Hummel, president of the Franklin County Farm Bureau, told The Dispatch he doesn't believe the cuts will have a dramatic impact on central Ohio farming.

Though some farmers may be hurt by the cuts, Hummel said he believes most Ohio farmers won't suffer that much due in large part to what they grow.

The biggest crops in Ohio are soybeans, corn, wheat and hay, according to the USDA. Unlike produce, Hummel said most of those crops are used to either feed livestock or are part of other products, such as ethanol.

Despite Bird's concerns, Hummel said he doesn't think the cut in federal funding will damage food security for the region.

After President Donald Trump was elected in November, Hummel said he and other farmers expected there would be efforts to shrink the federal budget and deficit. He equated the LFPA move to what a school district might have to do if its levy failed on the ballot.

"It's not fun for anyone...Everybody's going to have some loss when it comes to tightening the budget," Hummel said. "It's not what we wanted to hear, but everyone's going to feel some pain."