WASHINGTON — Cindy Favre has already noticed the impact of last week’s suspension of a federal emergency food program that helps stock the St. Peter Area Food Shelf, where she is the manager.
“The variety and number of products are going down,” Favre said. “We are starting to see a real reduction in certain types of food.”
Favre said the St. Peter Area Food Shelf “is in a holding pattern” as it tries to sort out the impact of federal funding cuts and continues to feed about 200 households each month. But Favre said there’s concern, especially since visits to the food shelf are “ticking up” with more individuals and families coming for a second supply of food each month.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suspended $500 million in Commodity Credit Corporation shipments destined for food banks across the country through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
It’s not clear why the USDA cancelled those food shipments. But all federal programs are undergoing scrutiny for alleged fraud and abuse and for their roles in Trump administration efforts to reshape the federal government.
Normally, the shipments are received by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and distributed to the six regional food banks in the state.
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, said that, so far this year, it has placed 78 orders for a variety of food, including milk, eggs, green beans, dried fruit, chicken, turkey and pork.
“On March 25, USDA cancelled 34 of these purchased orders, which will significantly reduce the amount of food coming into Minnesota between now and September,” the Department of Children, Youth and Families said in an emailed statement.
Most of the food for TEFAP is purchased from local farmers.
The Department of Children, Youth and Families said it had “not received any communication from USDA, beyond the individual cancelled orders, about potential future impacts to (Commodity Credit Corporation) purchases or plans.”
Favre said she is also in the dark as to why the USDA is reducing its help for hunger programs and that the “chaos” in Washington, D.C., is worrisome.
Her food shelf has benefited from the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign, a yearly drive organized by religious organizations, corporations and individuals to help stock and support the capacity of the state’s nearly 300 food shelves.
“But next month, the Catholic Church is not going to bring the 500 pounds of food to us like they did in March,” Favre said.
Nearly one out of every five Minnesotans is food insecure. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the official name for food stamps, helps many stave off hunger. But, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, there were about 5.5 million visits to the state’s food shelves in 2022.
Food shelves are available to anyone in Minnesota who self-reports that their household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines or participates in one of several public assistance programs.
The cancellation of TEFAP shipments follow recent cancellations of the USDA’s Local Food for School Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program funding, which also helps farmers deliver food to schools and food banks. The cancellations of food shipments from these three programs is estimated to total about $1.5 billion.
Democrats take on USDA over TEFAP
The St. Peter Area Food Shelf depends largely on free and low-cost deliveries of food from Second Harvest Heartland, one of the six regional food banks that receive Commodity Credit Corporation food from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Zach Nugent, spokesman for Second Harvest, said the funding cuts have “most urgently and directly impacted” the meat and dairy products that were available through TEFAP.
“The cancellation leaves a gap in our milk sourcing, specifically for two weeks in April,” he said.
He said Second Harvest is looking for another source for milk, but he said the TEFAP cuts hurt.
“Community Credit Corporation funding and TEFAP are integral to not only our operations as a food bank, but provide hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to our network of food shelves,” Nugent said.
Democrats are challenging the USDA decision, claiming it would have a significant and damaging impact on millions of people.
“People are struggling with grocery costs, and the decision to prevent $500 million worth of food from reaching local communities is reckless,” said Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, in a statement. “The USDA is supposed to fight hunger and support farmers in America. Its recent actions are doing the exact opposite.”
Democrats like Craig, who is the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said federal cuts to nutrition programs are occurring as food banks experience a rising demand since inflation remains high.
Meanwhile, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, took the lead in a letter sent to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week that was signed by 25 other Senate Democrats, including Tina Smith, asking about the cuts to TEFAC and whether the USDA plans to “un-pause” the funds.
