Texas growers to be drastically affected by USDA cuts to food programs

MISSION — As federal support for key USDA programs winds down, small-scale Texas farmers warn of the damaging effects on local agriculture, community health, and school nutrition across the state. Jesus Lozano, founder of Triple J Organics in Mission, TX, says these cuts threaten hard-earned progress that has made locally grown produce more accessible to families and students alike.

Small farms like Triple J Organics have long struggled with unpredictable markets and limited buyers. Too often, perfectly good fruit is rejected simply because it doesn’t meet rigid size standards. “It’s frustrating to see fresh, nutritious fruit left behind while families in our communities go hungry,” Lozano explained. “We grow high-quality produce, but without the right buyers, it’s wasted—and so is all the work that went into it.”

That changed with the introduction of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs. Managed by the Texas Department of Agriculture, these USDA initiatives connected Texas-grown produce directly to schools and local nonprofits. But their success relied on a crucial partner: The Common Market Texas.