POLICY PRIORITIES
Updated 11/05/2025
Colorado ballot measures score victory for school meal programs
“Preliminary returns show Colorado’s Proposition LL with a commanding lead, while Proposition MM is also ahead, but by a smaller margin.
“The two ballot measures would fund free meals for all public school students, give raises or stipends to cafeteria workers and provide grants to schools to purchase fresh ingredients from local farmers.
“If there’s money left over from the taxes the two measures bring in, the funding could help shore up the SNAP program, also known as food stamps, for low-income families in the face of federal cuts.
“As of 7:15 a.m. on [Nov. 5], Proposition LL was ahead by 29 points, while Proposition MM had a smaller, 17-point lead. Both leads widened slightly overnight.”
READ MORE
Supporters of Propositions MM and LL declare victory
By Jenny Brundin, CPR News
Nov. 4, 2025
Updated 11/04/2025
Orgs seek to amplify firsthand accounts of federal shutdown impact
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
As a follow up to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s (NSAC) recent blog post that offered a high level summary of how farmers are being impacted by the government shutdown, NSAC is planning to publish a part two that features more farmer voices and firsthand accounts. With long term sights set on building a strong case against the USDA reorganization and the Administration’s continued actions that damage our food system and farmers’ livelihoods, NSAC’s policy team has put together a short list of the specific scenarios we are hoping to highlight with this blog post. To make this request a bit easier to navigate, story requests are separated by campaign – of course, a lot of farmers may be feeling multiple impacts, or might be experiencing impacts that are not explicitly listed here – please share all of that. NSAC is eager to hear any and all impact stories right now, including those related to Climate (CEE, CCSC, REE); Local and Regional Food (MFSRD, FSI); and Farm Safety Net (FOFC).
National Young Farmers Coalition
National Young Farmers Coalition’s federal policy team is collecting stories of how your farms and businesses are being affected by recent legislative actions to share with policymakers and to inform our advocacy strategy.
Please share your experiences related to:
- USDA funding freeze
- Government shutdown
- USDA grant termination
- USDA office closure/relocation
- Firing/loss of USDA staff
- Socially disadvantaged termination/changes in customer service/experience at USDA offices
- Tariffs and cost of inputs
- How administrative actions are affecting your journey in agriculture
Data will be aggregated and shared anonymously. Submit your story here.
Updated 10/02/2025
Federal government shutdown
The partial federal government shutdown effective Oct. 1 is anticipated to halt or delay operations and resources across the nation, including the USDA’s ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders.
“During a shutdown, about 42,000 USDA staff would be furloughed, according to the agency’s 2025 shutdown contingency plan, roughly half the agency’s employees,” according to Reuters’ Leah Douglas, P.J. Huffstutter, and Julie Ingwersen.
READ MORE
This Federal Food and Agriculture Work Will Cease During the Shutdown
By Lisa Held, Civil Eats
Oct. 1, 2025
Nearly Half of USDA Employees to be Furloughed as Gov’t Shuts Down
By Ryan Hanrahan, Illinois Farm Policy News
Oct. 1, 2025
USDA’s Shutdown Plan Detailed
By Chris Clayton, Progressive Farmer
Oct. 1, 2025
Updated 10/02/2025
Coalition of nearly 600 orgs calls on Congress for strong farm bill
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations, including the Center for Good Food Purchasing, delivered a joint letter to Congressional leaders on Sept. 22, urging them to aim high toward a farm bill that invests in our mutual prosperity. Addressed to Senate and House leadership as well as Agriculture Committee chairs and ranking members, the letter calls on Congress to address the harmful provisions enacted through the recently passed budget reconciliation bill (P.L. 119-21) and to advance a long overdue farm bill that supports family farmers, rural communities, healthy food access, essential nutrition programs, and more.
“The decisions made in this farm bill will touch every person in this country,” the letter states. “[We] stand together to say we will only support a farm bill that provides adequate and accessible SNAP benefits to families and individuals; makes our food safer, healthier, and more affordable; supports good, family-sustaining jobs for food workers; supports family farmers and their communities; and ensures our food is produced in ways that are consistent with our values.”
TAKE ACTION
Supporters are encouraged to continue amplifying the letter’s significance and demands by sharing directly with your Congressional delegation, with local/national news outlets to request media coverage of the effort, and with networks of others interested in reaching out to their members of Congress.
Updated 07/31/2025
Bipartisan Bills Boost Local Farmers and Expand Access to Healthy Food for Families
SENATE
“On Friday, July 18, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the Strengthening Local Food Security (SLFS) Act of 2025 (S. 2338). The SLFS Act would catalyze new market opportunities for local farmers and food businesses while providing nutritious foods to communities in need.
“‘The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases billions of dollars of food annually for federal nutrition programs, yet these purchases are mostly made from a small number of the largest businesses. By localizing purchasing decisions, buyers can work with farmers based on both their existing scale as well as the needs of the community. The Supporting Local Food Systems Act would create local channels that allow for small, mid-size, and beginning farmers to successfully secure contracts in federal nutrition programs,’ said Hannah Quigley, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Policy Specialist, in response to the bill’s introduction.”
HOUSE
“On Tuesday, July 29, Representatives Robert Bresnahan (R-PA-8), David Valadao (R-CA-22), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Josh Riley (D-NY-19), Tony Wied (R-WI-8), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4), Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-7), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), and Alma Adams (D-NC-12) introduced the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act (LFFC) of 2025 (H.R. 4782). The LFFC Act would establish and expand relationships between local producers and food distribution networks that create new market opportunities for farmers and improve community food security.
“‘The introduction of the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act demonstrates clear bipartisan, bicameral support for investing in local and regional supply chains nationwide. Allowing states and Tribes to make food purchases at the local level simply makes sense – it is efficient, keeps food dollars local, and families get fresh food they actually want,’ commented Hannah Quigley, Policy Specialist with NSAC.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about the Strengthening Local Food Security Act, see NSAC’s July 22, 2025, press release. To learn more about the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act, see NSAC’s July 30, 2025, press release.
USDA cancels Regional Food Business Center support for small farms and food businesses
The USDA – Southwest Regional Food Business Center is one of 12 regional food business centers established to build a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system by improving opportunities and competitiveness of food and farm businesses, including value-added activities that generate additional business revenue. Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced she’s cancelling the program that runs these centers, eliminating that support for small farms and food businesses around the country.
“Our team has supported nearly 2,000 farm and food businesses in just two years, and we were ready to deliver 100 grants totaling $4.2 million. Now, only a fraction — around $1 million — will reach the hands of producers,” said Tracy Celio of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about the termination of the USDA program that runs the Regional Food Business Centers, see USDA Cancels More Support for Regional Food Systems by Lisa Held, Civil Eats, July 15, 2025.
Policy Trackers
Via FoodPrint
Between executive orders, new legislation and ICE raids of farming and meatpacking communities, it’s hard to keep up with the latest food and farming news. But with those actions having such big impacts on both people and planet, it’s more important than ever to stay in the loop. Thankfully, nonprofit newsrooms are here to help: Civil Eats‘ Food Policy Tracker has daily updates on everything from Supreme Court decisions to MAHA policy proposals, and Investigate Midwest‘s Immigration Tracker has the latest on immigration enforcement in the ag sector. Both are helping us stay on top of the biggest stories that shape our food system.
Read More
For Farmers, the Government Shutdown Adds More Challenges
By Rebekah Alvey, Civil Eats
Oct. 22, 2025
Farmers feel the effects of the government shutdown
By Ariana Schumacher, AgWeek
Oct. 17, 2025
How the Government Shutdown is Impacting Farmers
By National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Oct. 10, 2025
USDA Staffing Crisis: Conservation Staff Losses Will Further Undermine Services to Farmers and Ranchers
By National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Sept. 25, 2025
At Farm Aid, Top Agriculture Democrats Say Trump’s Policies Are Hurting Farmers
By Lisa Held, Civil Eats
Sept. 22, 2025
Small farms, food businesses to lose vital USDA support
By Pamela S Kan-Rice, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
July 21, 2025
How Trump’s Big Bill Devastates the US Food System
By Tom Philpott, Mother Jones
July 17, 2025
Open letter to the New York Farm Bureau and to the employers that it represents
By the Members of Alianza Agrícola and the Workers’ Center of Central New York
June 9, 2025
Federal Good Food Purchasing Coalition
As one of the founding organizations in the Federal Good Food Purchasing Coalition, the Center engages in federal efforts to strengthen values-aligned procurement including defining strategic purchasing goals with Federal institutions, promoting the implementation of data and transparency from Department of Defense, and exploring opportunities for the USDA to support institutional purchasing values through commodity purchasing and programs such as Local Food for Schools.
Resources
Take Action
Individuals can help promote policy that makes purchasing more just, healthy, and sustainable by joining coordinated efforts through the Federal Good Food Purchasing Coalition. Organizations interested in becoming part of the coalition are encouraged to contact the Federal Good Food Purchasing Coalition.
To learn more about the Center for Good Food Purchasing’s policy work, please contact Amy Nelms, Policy Manager, at anelms@goodfoodpurchasing.org.