I'm a small farmer in Arkansas. I grow vegetables, cook meals, teach kids about food, and try--like so many others--to make my community stronger, healthier, and more connected. So when I heard that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting funding to the very programs that support farms like mine and the families we feed, I felt gut-punched.

These weren't bloated, bureaucratic programs. They were lifelines.

They helped schools buy fresh produce from local farms. They supported food pantries stocking healthy meals. They gave small farmers a chance to stay in business while feeding their neighbors--not strangers hundreds of miles away, but people right here in town.

And now, they're gone.

In March, USDA canceled over $1 billion in food system........

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