The Trump administration’s sudden termination of a federal program in early March has restricted Cumberland County Schools’ ability to provide more fresh, local produce to its students.
Cumberland County Schools received funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement program, a pandemic-era program intended to strengthen local food systems and provide nutritious food to schools. The program was expected to provide $660 million to schools and childcare centers across the country to purchase food from local farmers in 2025, including in Cumberland County.
The USDA program had provided CCS with the ability to purchase $200,000 worth of fresh food from local farms in the last two years. The loss of the program means the school district will now have a limited capacity to provide students with additional options of locally sourced, fresh food, according to Beth Maynard, the executive director of Child Nutrition Services at CCS.
“We were informed in December that a second round of grant funds had been approved by USDA and were looking forward to expanding our fresh produce offerings with options that are often beyond our affordability,” Maynard told CityView. “We are very disappointed to lose that opportunity, but will continue offering fresh produce on our menus that is within our budget.”
The program had provided students who received free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at their schools with farm-fresh options that might not be accessible at home. Approximately 75% of CCS students receive free or reduced-price meals at their schools.
Maynard told CityView all students who bought or received lunch from CCS between April 2023 and July 2024 benefited from the program, and CCS serves about 30,000 lunches per day.
“When our students’ bodies are nourished, their minds are better prepared to learn,” Maynard said. “The Local Foods to Schools grant allowed us to expand our fresh produce options for our students, while also supporting local farms.”
The program’s cancellation comes as other cost-cutting measures by the Trump administration have left local governments and ongoing projects in the lurch. In Fayetteville, the Public Works Commission is now unable to access $80 million in federal funds for planned infrastructure projects, including a new filtration system for forever chemicals. City officials have also expressed concern about losing access to federal funds that support key infrastructure improvements in the city, like improvements to the Fayetteville Regional Airport.
Government accountability reporter Evey Weisblat can be reached at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
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