KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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In early March, the USDA announced it would cut $1 billion in COVID-era funding.
"There is over 300 pounds in here that was supposed to go out here at the end of March, beginning of April," said Lawanna Salmon, a St. Clair County, Mo., cattle rancher.
Salmon Enterprises is a second-generation, family-owned and operated beef operation located near Appleton City, Missouri.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh and Lawanna Salmon put their heads together to come up with ideas to generate cash flow for their business.
When beef on grocery store shelves wasn't selling, the Salmon family loaded their pick-up truck with butchered beef to sell to the community.
They went back to the ranch with an empty pick-up truck.
"I told my husband we are going to do this to keep our ranch going," she said.
They've partnered with New Growth, a non-profit organization that prioritizes the growth of rural communities and fighting hunger.
Through it's help, Salmon Enterprises cattle ranch participated in the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), one of the programs cut by the USDA earlier this month.
“We’re going to lose over $100,000," Salmon said. "We’re gonna figure out another way to sell it."
Salmon says the program requires their operation to front the cost of raising the specific animals and butchering. She told KSHB 41 the funding is reimbursment after they front the cost.
"I get the government doesn't want to spend in excess," she said. "We’re going to have to do some juggling, refocus and figure out what to do with these cattle that we had brought into this program. Are we going to turn them around and ship them to the sale barn or are we going to hold stagnant for a little bit? People must realize everyday that we’re holding, it’s costing us money."
Sheridan Garman-Neeman is the Chief Operating Officer for New Growth.
The Salmon family is a recipient of a federal grant that provides the operation an opportunity in the program.
“Freezing funds like this creates a lot of uncertainty," Garman-Neeman explained. "We were required under our grant agreement that we can continue to do this work and we are continuing to do it. It’s work that we don’t know if we are going to get paid for."
The Salmon beef operation has previously sold its products to Shawnee Mission, Olathe, Leavenworth, and local school districts.
KSHB 41 previously reported on the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA).
RELATED | Kansas City USDA food program cuts could leave some without enough food
Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins told KSHB 41 the new administration is honing in on excessive government spending.
It's a push for new federal legislation.
"I think it’s important for viewers to know we are two years past the Food and Farm Bill," Hawkins explained. "That’s one of the key issues that our farmers are talking about on Capitol Hill, is the need to update and reauthorize the Farm Bill that impacts all Americans.”
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, is passed every five years in Congress.
The bipartisan piece of legislation is a safety net for producers, numerous programs that include crop insurance, conservation, and agriculture research programs.
The 2018 bill is $428 billion in total dollars; $325.8 million or 76%, funds nutrition programs like SNAP.
The Farm Bill is typically passed every five years and is updated to reflect the current economy. The 2018 legislation expired in 2023. The same funding has been extended through orders of Congress to maintain 2018 funding.
Garman-Neeman agrees that a new Farm Bill needs to be passed for urban and rural families.
The freeze on federal programs is putting a strain on non-profits.
"During COVID, we realized that we have a big problem. Remember during COVID, the middle all of you went to the grocery store and there wasn’t food on the shelves? That’s because we don’t have a local resilient food system," she said. "Because we rely on food that is processed in California. We rely on food from here to ship to California, be processed and then be sent back to us, where we rely on food from out of the country. We don’t have a local resilient food system and we haven’t invested in our local farm businesses."
KSHB 41 reached out to Congressman Mark Alford (R-MO, District 4) for a statement regarding the recent USDA cuts.
"Farm families are the backbone of communities across Missouri. Unfortunately, these hardworking Missourians are currently facing a crisis in the farm economy, caused by rising input costs, declining commodity prices, record debt levels, and a lingering agricultural trade deficit,” Congressman Alford said. “That’s why Republicans included $10 billion in direct economic support through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program in our recent government funding bill. While that funding is a critical lifeline, it can’t replace the absolute necessity of getting a full, five-year farm bill signed into law to give our agriculture ecosystem the certainty it desperately needs. Our farmers and ranchers feed, clothe, and fuel America—and we’re fighting to get them the support they deserve.”
The $10 billion in aid primarily focuses on crop commodities.
For now, the Salmon family is continuing to find ways to sell the product they set aside for the programs that were cut.
They're not sure resiliency will get them through, but are certain someone will prioritize local buying.
"We started this business just to get good beef out," added Salmon. "We will get it figured out. It’s an obstacle you have to jump over, but we jump ‘em every day.”
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