NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week it was cutting $1 billion in funding to local food banks and schools — funding used to buy fresh produce from local area farmers.
Louise Gartner has owned Fox Tail Farm in New Richmond for over 10 years. Her farm grows certified organic produce and edible flowers.
“Well, the last couple years, the food bank has been our biggest customer,” said Gartner.
Gartner said the money coming in from food banks has allowed her to hire more staff and buy more equipment, adding that she was planning on expanding operations for the local food banks.
WATCH: How USDA funding cuts are affecting the livelihood of local farmers
We asked her what the funding cuts meant for her and her farm.
“It’s gonna affect me quite a bit,” Gartner said. “I haven’t found other markets that could replace the entirety of what I send to the food bank.”
Marykate Glenn's Mustard Seed Farms — which is made of smaller farms and farmers who work together — also sells some of their produce to the CAIN Food Pantry in Northside. She said losing a sure customer is tough.
“That ability for a local small farm to deliver in bulk to one place, one buyer, and knowing that you’re having a guaranteed sale — that is crucial,” said Glenn.
Glenn and Gartner both told us the program was doing what it was intended to do, helping not only farmers but those who are hungry in their communities.
“That was a great benefit to a lot of people in our community, including our farm and lots of other farmers,” Glenn said. “You know, in the name of government efficiency this doesn’t seem too efficient to me.”
Gartner said it was a win-win situation.
“It was a big bang for the buck for the taxpayer, it was great for me, it was great for, you know, the rural economy,” said Gartner. “It was, all the way around it was a win-win for everybody.”
The funds for this financial year are still available, but come July 1, food banks will either have to find different funding or stop buying from local farmers.
We asked both farmers if the worst-case scenario happened and they could no longer sell to food banks what would happen to their farms?
“I’ll just have to produce less,” said Gartner.
She said she doesn’t want to grow food and then has nowhere to sell it, causing it to go to waste.
"It will mean, we are you know not making, the farmers are not making a living wage,” said Glenn.
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