The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced that they are cutting more than $1 billion in funding for programs that support local food purchases by schools and food banks. This decision was a part of a bigger factor by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which belongs to the Trump administration and Elon Musk to reduce federal spending.

“DOGE says they are slashing federal spending to reduce government waste,” according to CBS News. “The USDA programs were funded through the agency’s Commodity Credit Corporation, a Depression-era fund created to buy products directly from farmers.” 

This funding being cut will have significant impacts on school meal programs, especially free lunches, including schools in Milledgeville. 

The funding was used to connect local farmers with schools and food banks, helping them buy fresh local food for students. With this cut, schools might not be able to provide this now and struggle to keep the same quality of food.

They say that the cut will reduce what they see as a wasteful program, though some people argue that this decision can harm vulnerable populations such as children in school and low-income families.

Baldwin County gained the support of the USDA in the form of a $50 thousand Farm to School Turnkey Grant in August 2022. This grant allows the district to grow produce using hydroponics and aquaponics which is growing food without soil and all together a way of sustainable farming.

“When Susan Nelson started her post as Baldwin County Food Services Director nine years ago, the district had about a dozen gardens in total,” WGXA reported. 

Now, there are about 100 gardens planted districtwide due to Nelson’s efforts. 

With this new funding cut it will change the way Baldwin county gets their food to their students. It will definitely restrict healthier food options and the quality of food because they will no longer have easy access to get their food straight from local farms.

This decision has created a debate nationally, with some people arguing that the cuts will diminish the promotion of healthy eating habits among students. The USDA’s funding cuts for food assistance programs will cause problems with local farmers and create a rise in the impacts this will have on public health and education.

The free or discounted lunch programs, which serve thousands of students in and out of Baldwin County, are expected to be hit hard by these cuts. They will have fewer resources available from local suppliers, and concerns about food quality are high and prices might increase for both school systems and students. This could leave some students without access to meals during their school day.

“The USDA cutting funds for school lunches will have negative effects on both children and parents,” said Finley Burns, a sophomore finance major. “The cuts will impact the quality of the food that schools are able to feed their students. Obesity is already a huge issue in the U.S., and the fund cuts will contribute negatively towards that issue.”

The cuts come after Congress has had long debates about how to balance the federal budget. Their cutting this funding shows that they may think it is unnecessary or inefficient. 

This is hard-hitting news for people across the nation, especially schools in Baldwin County, 

due to the recent grant that helps them collaborate with local farms to bring fresh and healthy food options for the students of Baldwin.

Many students rely on free lunch programs and food assistance programs to get their needed meals throughout the school day. This funding cut will potentially make healthier school lunches not easily accessible.