August 24, 2026
Statement from Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman on USDA’s Harvest to Hallways Announcement
The Iowa Farmers Union responded to today’s USDA’s Harvest to Hallways announcement with a call for reinstatement of farmer funding for local food initiatives in the next farm bill currently debated in the US Senate.
“We are still reeling from the 2025 USDA decision to cut $1 billion from farmers trying to feed children in our local schools and to feed those utilizing local food banks,” said Lehman. “The Local Food for Schools Program and the Local Food Purchasing Agreement were proven investments in farmers that had long demonstrated success on farms, in classrooms, and in our food banks. It was a betrayal of farmers investing in a public-private partnership to feed those most in need in our communities.”
Lehman noted that the new infrastructure investments amount to barely one-tenth of the 2025 cuts.
“Our farmers choose to farm because they want to grow things to feed people. Connecting farmers with children and other consumers is vitally important now more than ever, and we recognize the need for new efforts to make these connections.”
“As Congress debates provisions in the farm bill, our farmers are fully aware that the new investments in the Harvest to Hallways initiative fall far short of fixing the damage done by the massive USDA cuts. Congress should immediately restore the programming and funding during farm bill deliberations.”
The link to the USDA Press release can be found here: USDA Announces Harvest to Hallways Initiative to Invest in Child Nutrition Programs | USDA
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