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Tribes hope Farm Bill can feed more people and preserve Indigenous culture
The bill would create a permanent grant program for state and tribal governments to buy local foods for schools and hunger relief, Reed said.
- U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, and Sen. Jim Justice, a West Virginia Republican, introduced legislation creating a permanent grant program allowing state and tribal governments to purchase local food from regional producers for schools and hunger relief.
- In March 2025, the Trump Administration ended two Agriculture Department programs providing more than $1 billion for food banks and schools, saying they no longer aligned with agency goals and eliminating reliable markets for small-scale and tribal producers.
- Operators of the 6-acre Ashawaug Farm in Rhode Island, Dawn and Cassius Spears, argue that dedicated federal programs help farmers plan purchases and staff hiring. Spears said, "When we go into these federal programs, we're hoping that they'll last long enough."
- The House passed its version of the bill in April, while a Senate committee released its draft in late June; both proposals set aside 10% of program funding for tribes to establish cooperative agreements through the USDA.
- Carly Griffith Hotvedt, executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, noted that tribes relied on previous programs to distribute culturally significant foods like bison and wild rice, arguing that mandatory funding is essential for economic stability.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources30
Leaning Left7Leaning Right6Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 29%
C 46%
R 25%
Factuality
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