by Steven Pappas
News Partner 13WHAM

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it is cutting two programs that provide funding for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers for school lunches.

The decision will suspend more than $1 billion in federal spending as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal government expenditures.

Foodlink, the largest food bank in Rochester, expressed concern over the cuts but said it is prepared to continue serving those in need.

"It’s never good to see programs like this cut," said Foodlink Chief Impact Officer Mitch Gruber.

Gruber emphasized the organization’s commitment to serving the community.

"We are going to make sure that we’re able to maintain our service levels, both because we’re expecting the state to help fill in the gap, and because we’re working around the clock to make sure we’re prepared for cuts like this," he said.

The cuts will affect local farmers who supply fresh foods to Foodlink.

"More and more every year of what we’re buying is from local farms," Gruber explained. "A lot of the money that was cut today is used on local dairy product. You know, we have local dairy farms that are becoming very, very great partners of food banks, and want to see these programs continue."

Foodlink distributes approximately 24 million pounds of food annually to 150,000 people across 10 counties in Western New York.

Gruber expressed concern about potential future cuts, particularly to SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

"I will say that one of the biggest concerns that we have is the conversation at the federal level about cutting SNAP benefits," he said. "If there are cuts to food stamps, there is almost nothing that we can do to prepare to handle what a cut for food stamps means to people’s household budget."

Gruber described the funding cuts as an economic blow, not just to Rochester, but nationwide.

"It’s really disappointing, because at the end of the day, this is hurting economic development," he said. "This is hurting agriculture. It’s hurting farms, small businesses, and it’s hurting the folks who need the food the most."