Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a news release that his administration has filed a lawsuit against the USDA for unlawfully terminating the state’s Local Food Purchase Assistance program agreement — a $13 million commitment that directly supports 189 Pennsylvania farms and supplies 14 food banks with fresh, locally grown food.
The governor announced the legal action at the Share Food Program in Philadelphia, one of the state’s largest emergency food providers.
Shapiro said his administration had tried to appeal the termination of the LFPA program by filing an administrative appeal through the USDA, reaching out to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and through meetings with USDA leadership in Washington, D.C. When the USDA ignored Pennsylvania’s request to support farmers, the administration was left with no other choice but to sue, the governor said.
“Pennsylvania farmers do the noble work of putting food on our tables — and for the last three years, they’ve been paid to provide fresh, local food to food banks across our commonwealth as part of a successful federal initiative,” Shapiro said in the release. “When the USDA abruptly terminated our agreement without cause, they ripped away a reliable source of income for 189 Pennsylvania farms — and cut off funding that would have helped provide over 4.4 million meals to families across the commonwealth. That’s not just bad policy — it’s a broken promise. A deal is a deal, and I’ve taken legal action today to ensure the federal government honors its commitment to Pennsylvania.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has administered more than $28 million in federal LFPA funding since 2022. The state said the USDA canceled the most recent three-year contract in March, which was signed December 2024.
Pennsylvania rebuked USDA’s claims that the state was “sitting on tens of millions” in unspent LFPA funds, saying the state’s program operates on a reimbursement basis, paying vendors upfront and is reimbursed by the federal government once the state incurs expenses.
“The USDA’s decision was not just unexpected — it was unlawful, and it has already caused serious harm to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in the release. “This is about real people — the farmers, producers, and rural communities who are now facing uncertainty as a result. These are hardworking men and women who put food on our tables, support local economies, and preserve our farmland for future generations. Governor Shapiro is fighting for our farmers because the stakes are far too high.”
The governor’s office said the Share Food Program distributed more than 30 million meals to individuals, families and food pantries in 2024. It also deliverd more than 83,000 senior food boxes through USDA programs, rescued nearly 6 million pounds of food and delivered more than 47,000 free home food packages to Philadelphia residents.
“Since 1986, our mission has been to feed the region’s most vulnerable families — and today, we’re serving nearly one million people each month, with more than half of them children,” said George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program. “At Share, we believe food is a human right and hunger is a solvable problem — principles we live by every day. The LFPA program helped us source nutritious food from local farms — but now, with demand at record highs, this cut will hurt real people and damage trust. At a time when demand at our food bank has risen 120% in just three years, losing LFPA hurts real people — and breaks a promise that should have been kept.”
Shapiro’s office said the state is one of the only in the country that uses LFPA funding to support in-state farmers to ensure that federal dollars stay local and support the state’s agricultural economy.
“I started providing fresh fruits and vegetables to Pennsylvania food banks several years ago — from Share in Philadelphia to food banks in Pittsburgh, Mercer County and across central PA. That work gave me a deep appreciation for what food insecurity really looks like. Whether someone is going through a tough time or has long struggled to make ends meet, the need is real — and the people who dedicate their time to helping others are truly inspiring,” said Brian Campbell, owner and founder of Brian Campbell Farms. “It’s not just about putting food on the table — it’s about providing healthy, nutritious options that can change lives. Programs like LFPA made it possible for farmers to cover the basic costs of harvesting, packaging, and delivering fresh produce to food banks. It was enough support to make it doable, and that made all the difference for the people we serve.”
