These programs were integral to connecting local food with rural communities and school children
By Sarah McIlvennie, VAAFM Emerging Issues Specialist and Gina Clithero, VAAFM Farm to Institution Program Manager
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is no longer in line to receive federal funding that the Agency was anticipating, which would have helped Vermont farms feed their local communities in 2025. On Friday, March 7, 2025, VAAFM received termination notices for our cooperative agreements from our USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) program contacts for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA25) and Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) programs. The termination notices read, in part:
“AMS has determined this agreement no longer effectuates agency priorities and that termination of the award is appropriate.”
Between 2022-2024, VAAFM received $1,351,726 through these programs, which has supported hundreds of Vermont farmers to feed their local communities. USDA announced the availability of additional funding for these programs on October 1st, 2024. In early January 2025, Vermont signed two cooperative agreements totaling $1,720,160 for both LFSCC ($1,222,076) and LFPA25 ($498,027). Both programs were slated to begin implementation later in 2025. This termination notice does not impact currently active LFPA Plus projects.
Of the $1,222,076 of LFSCC funding, $994,226 was designated for Vermont’s school districts to purchase local food. The Child Care portion of funds was anticipated to provide $277,850 to early childcare centers across the state to purchase local food. VAAFM had estimated that this program would provide approximately 4,000 children in early childhood settings and 83,000 children in K-12 school settings with local, nutritious food sourced from approximately 100 local farms.
The LFPA25 program was anticipated to fund between 14-17 food access projects across Vermont, using structures such as free CSA shares, Farmacy programs, pop-up markets and expanded food shelf capacity to feed communities. This program was anticipated to purchase from at least 50 of Vermont’s food producers.
We also want to take this opportunity to briefly celebrate the impact of this federal funding for Vermont producers over the past three years. These federally funded projects resulted in new and expanded partnerships between Vermont farms, schools, food shelves, and community organizations. Over 120 Vermont farms and food producers participated in these programs. The success of these programs is a testament to the collaboration and commitment of the grantees and partner farms. These funds have supported farms and organizations’ capacity to buoy their communities through post-COVID difficulties and multiple natural disasters. These funds have increased resilience across many of Vermont’s diverse communities not just in supply chains, but in connecting communities to each other and to nourishing food.
The news that the additional funds have been pulled back by USDA comes as a huge disappointment – for Vermont farms, schools, early childhood programs, and organizations focused on feeding their communities. The absence of these funds does not change the Agency’s commitment to supporting Vermont producers and increasing food access for all Vermonters. The Agency continues to advocate that USDA restore the funding. We have been working with other states on making the case that these programs were great for farmers and great for consumers.
We will be in touch with any updates or additional information. In the meantime, please reach out to Sarah McIlvennie (sarah.mcilvennie@vermont.gov) with questions about LFPA and Gina Clithero (gina.clithero@vermont.gov) with questions about LFSCC.
Read the Termination Letters:
- LFPA25 Termination Notice Vermont Local Food Purchase Assistance Project
- LFSCC Termination Notice Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets
More info about LFPA in Vermont: