Federal funding cuts leaves local food banks scrambling to stock fresh produce
photo courtesy of Oshkosh Northwestern
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently eliminated a total of one billion dollars in grant funding, including the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA). This federally-funded program connected local farmers and other growers to food banks and schools, providing them with regional produce. With rates of food insecurity on the rise, a source of fresh food is being cut down at a critical time.
A local recipient of products as a result of the LFPA agreement was the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry (OACP), an open source food bank which distributed over three million pounds of food in 2024 alone. The LFPA agreement was a major reason why much of that food was able to be fresh produce.
According to Ryan Rasmussen, the Executive Director for OACP, the grant was an integral part of supporting local agriculture.
“The LFPA grant provided federal and state funds to local farmers and producers with the intent of reimbursing those farmers, who give products and crops to local food pantries and food banks,” he said.
The lack of reimbursement will have devastating effects on local non-profits.
“We estimated about $120,000 worth of product that we wouldn’t have received because of these cuts,” he said.
The importance of this food cannot be overstated, since produce is an essential part of the diet and one that guests of the pantry rely on just as much as anyone else.
Tracy Vinz, the owner of Olden Organics and primary partner of the pantry under LFPA, wants community members to understand the importance of produce at the OACP.
“There are always canned goods on the shelves, there is always stovetop stuffing, there is always pie fillings or rice,” she said. “Those foods are always at the pantries; fresh produce is not.”
Families suffering from food insecurity often lack needed nutrients which they can’t always get from canned goods. Especially in kids, a lack of nutrients can have serious health and educational impacts.
Rasmussen urges understanding about the issue, and the necessity of the agreement to provide food for local families in need.
“It [LFPA] was vital for us, not only because it allowed us to forge some really great relationships with local farms, but also because it provided the produce that is truly essential,” he said.
Another concerning effect of the lack of fresh produce is its disproportionate impact on certain cultures, which make up much of the diverse population that OACP serves.
Elizabeth Ahnert, the Program Director for OACP, believes that produce plays a key role in connecting with many communities.
“We serve a variety of people, from many diverse backgrounds,” she said. “Food looks different in different cultures. When people rely heavily on the food they are familiar with, which is often the fresh produce they know how to prepare, it can be really challenging when we have to limit it.”
The importance of fresh produce extends beyond cultural borders, emphasizing its weight on the shelves of OACP.
“One of the reasons [LFPA] is important is that it comes in the form of produce,” Rasmussen said. “It is such a universal, cross cultural, barrier free food. It doesn't matter who you are, we all eat produce and we all need produce.”
The agreement created opportunities where previously there hadn’t been any.
“Under LFPA, we brought cut vegetables to the pantry,” Vinz said. “[When I was visiting] I had a lady stop me, grab my arm gently and say, ‘Do you own this farm, or do you know the owner?’ I said, ‘I am the owner.’ She said, ‘I have to tell you, you’ve made me feel human again.’ She showed me her hands, and they were crumpled up from horrible arthritis. She said, ‘I can’t cut vegetables anymore, I can't use a knife. You do all the work for me and I can just enjoy it.’ I went out to my car and just cried.”
This situation is made more unfortunate when OACP and other pantries all over the country can’t make this happen. The program's sudden absence leaves OACP staff wondering at the reason for this specific program’s removal.
Rasmussen believes the cuts are regrettable.
“As the new administration took over, they looked at a variety of different cuts throughout the spectrum and unfortunately this program was affected,” he said. “I wish we could go back in time and fix that.”
The program was only two years old when it was cut, meaning that the relationships between farms and pantries it intended to foster were not allowed to properly grow.
“If LFPA was allowed to exist for 10 years, it would have been able to build the relationship between local growers and local pantries to the point where the funding might not have been needed anymore,” Vinz said. “Given that it only existed for two years, it wasn’t long enough for growers to have enough time for them to produce the needed amount and for pantries to wrap their heads around being able to purchase from producers.”
Thankfully, despite the program's federal ending, OACP and Olden Organics are doing their best to continue their relationship.
The OACP was adamant to keep the supply of fresh foods accessible to those who need it.
“When the funding got cut, Tracy [Vinz] already had seeds in the ground, things started to grow for OACP,” Ahnert said, “When we found out about the cut, Tracy came in and met with Ryan [Rasmussen]. We knew this program couldn't end. We needed to find a way to make sure our guests had access to fresh produce.”
In order to recoup the losses, OACP has been fundraising ceaselessly, as well as trying their best to raise awareness and secure assistance from the community.
With these combined efforts, the OACP has already accumulated a considerable amount of money.
“By having these conversations, we’ve been able to fundraise about $60,000 of that back,” Rasmussen said.
To support local agriculture, some fundraised money will be used in conjunction with Olden Organics in order to get the produce they would have gotten anyway.
“They send us all the things they have on a weekly basis to pick from, and at this point, for a very generous, reduced rate,” Rasmussen said.
Despite its progress so far, OACP is continuing to call on the public for help.
Ahnert believes that the community is an imperative support link and that all can lend a helping hand in this situation.
“There are three main ways OACP relies on our community: donors of money, donors of time and donors of food,” she said. “If your family has a garden, and they want to grow produce for us, that's amazing. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can get a couple friends together and volunteer. We always love to have you.”
by Isaac Considine- Buelow
Published October 6, 2025
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue I