USDA ends program that brought locally grown food to school cafeterias

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that its Local Food for Schools (LFS) program is ending. The initiative, started in 2023, financially supported schools buying food from local farms.

The USDA awarded up to $200 million to states for the purchase of domestic local foods for distribution to their schools. Maine's Department of Education estimates that through January 2025, the state spent a little more than $740,000 through the LFS program.