Ben Rice, President of Rice Fruit Company in Adams County, backs Governor Shapiro’s action to protect Pennsylvania’s farmers after the USDA unlawfully canceled a $13 million federal agreement that supports 189 farms and 14 food banks across the Commonwealth. 

“The recent funding cuts are going to have a direct impact on our farms and on other Pennsylvania farmers in our area. Most notably, because there is a contract in place, and farmers make decisions with their investments based on where their food is going, and we're talking about removing food availability from people who are already managing food insecurity crisis.” 

Click here to watch Ben talk about how the funding cuts are going to have a direct impact on Pennsylvania farmers.

Harrisburg, PA - Governor Josh Shapiro is standing up for Pennsylvania farmers by challenging the unlawful cancellation of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) Program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - a decision that would cut $13 million in federal funding over the next three years for 189 farms and 14 food banks across the Commonwealth. Farmers like Ben Rice, an eighth-generation Pennsylvania apple grower and President of Rice Fruit Company in Adams County, are speaking up  about the importance of this program.

In March, Governor Shapiro directed Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) Secretary Russell Redding to file an administrative appeal and hold the federal government accountable for violating the agreement - signed just four months ago - which helped ensure locally grown food from Pennsylvania farms made it to food banks and families in need. In April, Secretary Redding followed up with a letter directly to the USDA clarifying misstatements made by the federal government about the LFPA. The Shapiro Administration has yet to receive an answer from the USDA to either the appeal or Secretary Redding’s letter.

Over the past two and a half years, PDA has driven out more than $28 million in LFPA funding to local farmers across the Commonwealth. In return, food banks received fresh, local food to serve vulnerable Pennsylvanians.

The USDA’s termination of its December 2024 contract has left 14 food banks facing severe financial gaps. For example, at the Central PA Food Bank alone, it means a $120,000 monthly loss - equal to 500,000 fewer meals each month.

If the USDA does not reverse its decision, the Commonwealth is prepared to pursue further legal action to protect farm revenue and ensure food access.

Click here to watch Ben Rice - an eighth-generation Pennsylvanian apple farmer and President of Rice Fruit Company, one of the largest apple packing facilities in the East - talk about the importance of protecting farmers and food banks from harmful federal cuts, or read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT

“My name is Ben Rice. I'm the President of Rice Fruit Company. We are an apple packing facility in Adams County, Pennsylvania. I represent the eighth generation of my family growing apples and the fourth generation involved in the packing business.

“The recent funding cuts are going to have a direct impact on our farms and on other Pennsylvania farmers in our area.

“Most notably, because there is a contract in place, and farmers make decisions with their investments based on where their food is going, and we're talking about removing food availability from people who are already managing food insecurity crisis.

“I'm very proud to be here to support Governor Shapiro. I think he said it very well in [today's] press conference when he said, ‘a contract is a contract.’ And earlier in the roundtable, he also talked about how a budget reflects priorities and values. And when you put those two things together, holding promises accountable to reflect the priorities and the values of what really should be there.

“I couldn't be more supportive of this action.”