On Friday, July 18, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the Strengthening Local Food Security (SLFS) Act of 2025 (S. 2338). The SLFS Act would activate new market opportunities for local farmers and food businesses to supply healthy foods to communities in need. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) applauds its introduction and encourages the Carolinas’ U.S. Senate delegation to sign on as cosponsors.
“Small farms feeding our communities at direct markets, independent restaurants and schools are the backbone of our local food economies. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act will provide these farms the market stability they need to grow so they can nourish more of us with healthy food.” –Roland McReynolds, Executive Director of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.
The SLFS Act authorizes USDA funding for state and tribal government initiatives to buy locally grown and raised foods from small, mid-sized, beginning, veteran or underserved farmers for distribution in school nutrition and community food assistance programs. These initiatives will:
- Reduce barriers for participation for farmers and ranchers by allowing them to sell directly to local agencies and avoid the cumbersome federal procurement bureaucracy.
- Equip each state and tribe with the resources to combat food insecurity by addressing each community’s unique needs.
- Promote new regional supply chains, and strengthen existing ones.
- Leverage existing partnerships and networks to offer tailored support for farms and businesses selling to new institutional markets.
Your Senators have a chance to invest in Carolina farmers, students and families, all at once. Tell your Senators how the Strengthening Local Food Security Act would benefit your community and ask them to become a co-sponsor!
