CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN RAISES THE ALARM ON TRUMP CUTS CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FOOD SHORTAGES AT HUDSON VALLEY FOOD BANKS, DEMANDS TRUMP’S AGRICULTURE SECRETARY ROLLINS REINSTATE FUNDS IMMEDIATELY
Congressman Pat Ryan Raises the Alarm on Trump Cuts Causing Catastrophic Food Shortages at Hudson Valley Food Banks, Demands Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Rollins Reinstate Funds Immediately
Trump’s Department of Agriculture announced a massive cut to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), slashing the program’s funding in half through the end of the year
Due to these cuts, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which feeds roughly 170,000 Hudson Valley residents every month, expects to have 2 MILLION fewer meals in the Hudson Valley alone
The announcement comes following the Trump Administration’s sweeping controversial cuts at USDA that have already ripped off farmers, threatened school lunch programs, and more
WASHINGTON, DC – Recently, the Trump Administration’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the funding for half of all food shipments through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has been cancelled through the end of the year.
The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York distributed more than six million meals of TEFAP foods last year across the Hudson Valley. Trump’s cuts at USDA will cut that number in half, significantly reducing the food bank’s ability to provide nutritious meals to the 170,000 community members that utilize their services every month. Due to the cuts, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties alone are on track to receive 2 million fewer meals in 2025.
Congressman Ryan is calling on Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to immediately reverse this decision and restore the flow of funds to Hudson Valley food banks.
“I had to read this 5 times before I believed it. We’re all already feeling the crunch of the affordability crisis, which is made immeasurably worse by Trump’s tariffs. Now he’s ripping food away from hungry children – it’s absolutely disgusting,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “170,000 of our neighbors rely on the food bank every month. That’s families going hungry. That’s kids, veterans, and seniors going hungry. That’s farmers going out of business. We need our entire Hudson Valley community to join together with one voice and demand that Trump and Secretary Rollins reverse this decision and restore critical funding immediately.”
“People experiencing food insecurity are facing an unprecedented crisis. Numerous shipments have already been cancelled -- if this funding is not restored, we’ll have 6 million fewer meals to provide families than we did last year, including 2 million of those meals in the Hudson Valley alone,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. “Food banks rely heavily on USDA programs to provide families, seniors, and individuals with high-quality, nutritious food. We source food from multiple channels, including rescuing 12 million pounds annually from retail partners. Additionally, we’ve built strong relationships with New York farmers and producers to secure fresh food directly and are collaborating with New York State to expand this initiative. Significant cuts to federal food programs would disrupt a critical farm-to-food-bank pipeline and have a devastating impact on millions of people.”
Of the 20 million pounds of TEFAP foods distributed by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York last year, more than 4.8 million pounds–equating to roughly 4 million meals–were distributed across Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties. In 2025, because of Trump’s USDA cuts, the food bank predicts a 49% drop in TEFAP foods, leaving them able to provide only 25 meals per food insecure resident to last year’s 48 meals. Overall, this will constitute 2 million fewer meals provided in 2025 than in 2024. Additionally, the food loads being cut include most of the food bank’s nutritious stock, including proteins like meats and cheeses, milk, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
The food bank’s Hudson Valley branch recently opened a new distribution facility in Montgomery, Orange County. The 50,000 square foot facility doubles the organization’s food storage capacity, and makes it easier to distribute food locally to the 170,000 people per month in the Hudson Valley who rely on the food bank’s services. The Montgomery location is also helping to foster more local partnerships between small farmers and the food bank as well as local food pantries and other distributors. The new facility opened its doors in December, and its vast empty shelves come as more and more people are turning to the charitable food system in response to rising costs.
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