MEQUON, Wis. — The federal government is making additional cuts to programs. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that $1 billion in funding for local programs has been canceled.
These programs exist and impact people here in Wisconsin. People like Vang Lee, a local farmer in Mequon.
"I pretty much rely on the farmers market to sustain my living, but with this new program, it kind of changed things a little bit," Lee said.
"In a good way?" reporter Jenna Rae asked.
"In a positive way," Lee responded.
Two years ago, Lee joined the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), a federally funded program that allows food banks to buy locally sourced produce from farmers to ensure low-income families get fresh food.
"I could sell it right away, and it would get to the people who need it right away, so I wasn't wasting food at all. That was the positive impact. The second one was it helped me provide for my family as well," Lee explained.
Watch: USDA cuts impact local farmers and low income families
On Wednesday, Lee said he found out that the program that's helped sustain his family was being cut.
"I've been preparing, you know, buying the soils, and getting everything ready for the season," Lee added.
Lee is one of many farmers whose produce is sourced from the Hunger Task Force.
"We're really disappointed to hear that this support for small, family-owned farms in Wisconsin is being cut. It's a win-win program of the USDA," Matt King said.
King is the CEO of the Hunger Task Force. He said last year, the federal government provided $250,000 in funding.
"We were able to purchase meat and produce from several different farms throughout the state, and we distributed that food to 114 different food pantries throughout 29 counties, so the impact isn't just here locally, but across the state," King explained.
King said they're still looking for consistent donations and volunteers to help meet the increasing demand from families in need at their pantry.
Luckily, the Hunger Task Force can continue the LFPA program without federal funding.
However, the future of farmers and others who rely on subsidized food could be in jeopardy as long as federal dollars remain in limbo.
"I hope that our voice can be heard so they can understand what we're going through as farmers," Lee said.
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