Zach Nunn Said He Supported DOGE After It Cut Millions In Funding For His District Along With Hundreds Of Jobs Across Iowa, Including In His Congressional District

June 2025: Nunn Praised DOGE’s Work And Even Wanted To “See All” Of The DOGE Cuts In Executive Orders “Be Able To Come To Congress And Get Through”…

June 2025: Nunn Said He Gave DOGE “A Lot Of Credit” With Getting Their Proposed Budget Cuts “Into Law.” NUNN: “It is important that we collectively do not forget, not only about the debt, but how to fix the debt situation. We can all talk about how bad this is, we’ve got to have folks out here in Washington actually moving a plan forward. I will give President Trump credit on helping us cut the budget. I give the DOGE team a lot of credit on getting those into law. We’ve now moved several of the DOGE executive orders forward, I want to see all of those be able to come to Congress and get through.” [KCSI, 00:06, 6/4/25] (AUDIO)

Nunn, June 2025: “We’ve Now Moved Several Of The DOGE Executive Orders Forward, I Want To See All Of Those Be Able To Come To Congress And Get Through.” NUNN: “It is important that we collectively do not forget, not only about the debt, but how to fix the debt situation. We can all talk about how bad this is, we’ve got to have folks out here in Washington actually moving a plan forward. I will give President Trump credit on helping us cut the budget. I give the DOGE team a lot of credit on getting those into law. We’ve now moved several of the DOGE executive orders forward, I want to see all of those be able to come to Congress and get through.” [KCSI, 00:06, 6/4/25] (AUDIO)

As Of April 2025, The Trump Administration And DOGE Had Made 45 Grants And Lease Terminations In Iowa’s 3rd District, The Most Out Of Any Of The States’ Congressional Seats

Center For American Progress, April 2025: The Trump Administration And DOGE Had Made 45 Grant And Lease Terminations In Iowa’s 3rd District. [Center for American Progress, 4/9/25]

  • As Of April 2025, The 45 DOGE Grant And Lease Terminations In Iowa’s 3rd District Were The Most Of Any Congressional District In Iowa. [Center for American Progress, 4/9/25]

DOGE Cuts To Job Corps Threatened To Close A Center In Ottumwa, Putting 92 Jobs In Nunn’s District At Risk

2025: The US Department Of Labor Worked With DOGE To Try And Cut The Federal Job Corps Program…

May 2025: The US Department Of Labor Announced They Would Be Pausing ‘Operations At All Contractor-Operated Job Corps Centers” By June 30, 2025. “The U.S. Department of Labor today announced it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide, initiating an orderly transition for students, staff, and local communities. The decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcome and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and congressional notification requirements. The pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30, 2025. As the transition begins, the department is collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities. The department’s decision aligns with the President’s FY 2026 budget proposal and reflects the Administration’s commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.” [US Department of Labor, News Release, 5/29/25]

  • June 2025: Then Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer Admitted The Labor Department “Worked Together” With DOGE On The Report That Recommended Eliminating Job Corps. CONGRESSWOMAN BONAMICI [39:26]: “On April 25th, the Department of Labor released a report titled, ‘Job Corps Transparency Report.’ What role did DOGE have in that report?” SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER [39:36]: “I want to be clear, the decision was not to eliminate job corps. Only congress can eliminate job corps.” CONGRESSWOMAN BONAMICI [39:43]: “I appreciate that, and I’m going to follow up on that, but what, I need to know what role DOGE had in this report? This job corps transparency report.” SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER [39:52]: “The Department of Labor does have the delegation and authority to halt those inner contracts, including program operations for job corps. I want, I know.” CONGRESSWOMAN BONAMICI [39:59]: “What role did DOGE have? I, sorry Madam Secretary, I just want an answer. What role did DOGE have in that report?” SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER [40:06]: “Thank you, congresswoman. […] The transparency report is where I can lead and talk to you about. Those numbers were from 2023.” CONGRESSWOMAN BONAMICI [40:37]: “But did DOGE write the report? Is my question.” SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER [40:39]: “The Department of Labor, the Government Efficiency employees are Department of Labor employees. So, if you’re asking me about DOGE is in the Department of Labor, yes they’re in the agency.” CONGRESSWOMAN BONAMICI [40:49]: “And did they participate in writing that report?” SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER [40:50]: “Yeah, we worked together and working together with that report.” [US House Committee on Education and The Workforce, Hearing, 39:26, 6/5/25] (VIDEO)

…That Included A Center In Ottumwa, Iowa, Putting 92 Jobs In Nunn’s District At Risk

HEADLINE: “Ottumwa Job Corps To Shut Down.” [Ottumwa Courier, 6/4/25]

2025: The Job Corps Center In Ottumwa, Iowa Was Scheduled To Shut Down By Because Of The “Blanket Cut” To The Program. “The word ‘devastation’ was thrown around quite a bit. When it comes to Ottumwa Job Corps, there were few other ways to describe the federal government's decision to shutter the job training program nationwide, and the effect it will have on the Ottumwa community. Job Corps in short order put together a resource fair Tuesday on its campus north of Ottumwa, and community partners, such as Community 1st Credit Union, Indian Hills Community College, Optimae Life Services, Iowa Works, AmeriCorps and others, banded together to make sure students continue on their current trajectory and help them with any needs they may have as they transition out of Job Corps. ‘The writing has kind of been on the wall because we hadn't enrolled students since March,’ Job Corps director Lindsay Cale said. ‘But a lot of us kept thinking there would be hope.’ Eliminating Job Corps was on the Trump Administration's to-do list as part of its fiscal year 2026 agenda. By eliminating the program, the U.S. is cutting $1.5 billion, but it also appeared to be a blanket cut; Ottumwa Job Corps, which serves 33 counties, has been one of the highest-performing in the country, consistently near the top in terms of job placement after leaving the program.” [Ottumwa Courier, 6/4/25]

The Ottumwa Job Corps Center Served 33 Counties In Iowa And Had 205 Students. “Eliminating Job Corps was on the Trump Administration's to-do list as part of its fiscal year 2026 agenda. By eliminating the program, the U.S. is cutting $1.5 billion, but it also appeared to be a blanket cut; Ottumwa Job Corps, which serves 33 counties, has been one of the highest-performing in the country, consistently near the top in terms of job placement after leaving the program. […] Last week, Job Corps had 205 students, Cale said. It is now down to 195 as students traversed the various tables at the resource fair. Students must be off campus by June 12, and the staff's last day is June 30.” [Ottumwa Courier, 6/4/25]

The Ottumwa Job Corps Center Would Be Shut Down Despite It Being “One Of The Highest-Performing In The Country.” “Eliminating Job Corps was on the Trump Administration's to-do list as part of its fiscal year 2026 agenda. By eliminating the program, the U.S. is cutting $1.5 billion, but it also appeared to be a blanket cut; Ottumwa Job Corps, which serves 33 counties, has been one of the highest-performing in the country, consistently near the top in terms of job placement after leaving the program.” [Ottumwa Courier, 6/4/25]

  • The Ottumwa Job Corps Center Was “Consistently Near The Top In Terms Of Job Placement After Leaving The Program.” “Eliminating Job Corps was on the Trump Administration's to-do list as part of its fiscal year 2026 agenda. By eliminating the program, the U.S. is cutting $1.5 billion, but it also appeared to be a blanket cut; Ottumwa Job Corps, which serves 33 counties, has been one of the highest-performing in the country, consistently near the top in terms of job placement after leaving the program.” [Ottumwa Courier, 6/4/25]
    • Starting Line: Ottumwa Job Corps Had A “94% Job Placement Rate.” “Citing low graduation rates and high cost per student, they terminated the program’s contractors that run each facility. The order gave Job Corps sites less than a month to help students find a new placement. For Ottumwa that meant 247 students were left in the lurch. The move was particularly surprising to staff and community members in Ottumwa who often bragged about the facility’s 94% job placement rate, and its $30 million facility that the federal government built in 2011 on land Indian Hills Community College donated.” [Iowa Starting Line, 6/25/25]
  • July 2025: The Executive Director Of Greater Ottumwa Partners In Progress Said The Job Corps Center Was “Consistently In The Top Five In The Country For Graduation Rates.” “Supporters of the two Iowa centers, however, say those problems do not afflict Denison and Ottumwa and that Job Corps is benefiting students and and their communities. ‘Here at the Ottumwa facility, we were consistently in the top five in the country for graduation rates and job placement if not number one,’ said Marc Roe, executive director of Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress, an economic development group.” [Des Moines Register, 7/1/25]
  • Ottumwa’s Job Corps Center Had Been A “Natural Pipeline For Trades Programs” At Indian Hills Community College In Ottumwa. “Mark Thompson, president of Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, agreed. ‘The Job Corps success rate here in Ottumwa has always been in the top one, two, three, four or five in the country in terms of people coming out with a degree,’ Thompson said. Indian Hills has had a long-term relationship with Job Corps and the program has been a natural pipeline for trades programs at the college, he said. ‘We have spoken at national conventions about the success we have had working between Job Corps and the college. I truly believe we could be a model for success around the country,’ he said.” [Des Moines Register, 7/1/25]
  • Ottumwa Job Corps Had Helped “Low-Income” Students Including “23 Kids…That Have Been Homeless At Times” Get Into Nearby Indian Hills Community College. “Mark Thompson, president of Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, agreed. ‘The Job Corps success rate here in Ottumwa has always been in the top one, two, three, four or five in the country in terms of people coming out with a degree,’ Thompson said. Indian Hills has had a long-term relationship with Job Corps and the program has been a natural pipeline for trades programs at the college, he said. ‘We have spoken at national conventions about the

success we have had working between Job Corps and the college. I truly believe we could be a model for success around the country,’ he said. Thompson said the potential loss of Job Corps is all the more disappointing because most of the students come from low-income situations. ‘We have 23 kids now that have been homeless at times,’ he said. ‘Job Corps allowed them to build confidence and career readiness which is essential to being successful. Many of these kids would not have found an education without Job Corps.’” [Des Moines Register, 7/1/25]

Des Moines Register: 92 “Job Corps-Related Jobs Would Be Lost” In Ottumwa If The Jobs Corp Center Closed. “Founded in 1964, Job Corps provides tuition-free vocational education, as well as housing, meals and health care during training, for people ages 16 to 24 who have struggled to finish traditional high school. Many of the students were either homeless or had aged out of the foster care system. If the centers are closed, 115 Job Corps-related jobs would be lost in Denison and 92 in Ottumwa.” [Des Moines Register, 7/1/25]

2025: Despite A Court Injunction That Temporary Put The Defunding Of Job Corps On Pause, It Was Still Being Pursued By The US Labor Department, Threatening The Ottumwa Job Corps Center

Associated Press: A Federal Judge Granted A “Preliminary Injunction” That Bolstered A “Temporary Restraining Order” That Directed The Labor Department “To Cease … Suspending The Nationwide Program Without Congressional Approval.” “A federal judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps, a residential program for low-income youth, until a lawsuit against the move is resolved. The injunction bolsters a temporary restraining order U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter issued earlier this month, when he directed the Labor Department to cease removing Job Corps students from housing, terminating jobs or otherwise suspending the nationwide program without congressional approval.” [Associated Press, 6/26/25]

June 2025: A Labor Department Spokesperson Indicated That They Would Keep Trying To Shut Down Job Corps, Saing “We Remain Confident That Our Actions Are Consistent With The Law.” “A federal judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps, a residential program for low-income youth, until a lawsuit against the move is resolved. The injunction bolsters a temporary restraining order U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter issued earlier this month, when he directed the Labor Department to cease removing Job Corps students from housing, terminating jobs or otherwise suspending the nationwide program without congressional approval. […] Department of Labor spokesperson Aaron Britt said the department was working closely with the Department of Justice to evaluate the injunction. ‘We remain confident that our actions are consistent with the law,’ Britt wrote in an email to The Associated Press.” [Associated Press, 6/26/25]

Des Moines Register, July 2025: Even After The Injunction, The Fate Of The Ottumwa Job Corps Center Remained “Uncertain.” “Other students will be able to continue in Dunker’s footsteps, at least for now, following a federal judge’s issuance of an injunction on Wednesday, June 26, that stopped the planned closure of 123 Job Corps centers across the U.S., serving more than 20,000 students. But the fate of the Job Corps centers, including the one in Denison, serving western Iowa, and another in Ottumwa, serving other parts of Iowa, remains uncertain.” [Des Moines Register, 7/1/25]

  • As Of October 3, 2025, The Case National Job Corps Association et al v. Department of Labor et al Was Still Active In The Southern District of New York Federal Court. [Southern District of New York District Court, National Job Corps Association et al v. Department of Labor et al, Case #:1:25-cv-04641-ALC, last known filing 10/3/25]

2025: DOGE Cut Over $4.5 Million In AmeriCorps Funding For Iowa, Causing Over 500 Job Losses Across The State, Including Some In Nunn’s District

HEADLINE: “DOGE Cuts Leave More Than 500 AmeriCorps Workers Without Jobs In Iowa This Month.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

April 2025: 568 Iowans Lost Their Jobs Because Of DOGE Cuts To AmeriCorps. “When the order rescinding federal funding this year for AmeriCorps dropped on April 15, 568 people doing a wide array of service work stopped for at least 15 Iowa nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

The DOGE Cuts To AmeriCorps In Iowa Totaled “Over $4.5 Million.” “Among them was the Iowa AmeriCorps 4H Outreach Program at Iowa State University, which lost over $640,000 in federal funds. Others included the Iowa Economic Development Authority ($520,525), the Conservation Corps for Iowa ($431,913) and the City of Davenport ($437,206). In total, the cuts to all recipients were over $4.5 million and resulted in a loss of more than half of the state’s AmeriCorps members — 568 people.” [Iowa Public Radio, 7/15/25]

  • Des Moines Register: “AmeriCorps Has Long Provided On-The-Ground Support To Essential Community Programs In Schools, Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, Youth Organizations, Veterans’ Facilities And Other Nonprofits.” “The exception, the news agency said, was 2021, when the government was spending trillions to fight the coronavirus pandemic and prevent an economic collapse. With a budget of roughly $1 billion, AmeriCorps has long provided on-the-ground support to essential community programs in schools, food banks, homeless shelters, youth organizations, veterans’ facilities and other nonprofits — in much the same way the Peace Corps does abroad.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

April 2025: AmeriCorps Announced Polk County, IA’s $272,678 “Conservation AmeriCorps Formula Grant” Was Being Cut Because Of DOGE. [Iowa Public Radio, 7/15/25]

Image: see original report, p. 40

[Iowa Public Radio, 7/15/25]

Des Moines Register: Polk County, IA’s Conservation Program Had Been Using AmeriCorps To Fund A “Environmental Education Program That Aimed To Engage Teens And Increase “Adaptive Programming With Veterans.” “The University of Iowa had obtained an AmeriCorps grant to expand its public health program. Polk County Conservation had been using its funding for an environmental education program, engaging Polk County teens, building its volunteer programming and increasing adaptive programming with veterans.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

  • Iowa’s News Now: Roughly 22 Jobs At Polk County Conservation Would Be Affected By DOGE, And The Cuts Would Reduce Their Seasonal Workforce “In Half.” “Polk County Conservation is losing more than $270,000 in AmeriCorps funding, a cut that officials say will reduce their seasonal workforce by nearly half. ‘That's essentially about a 50% cut to our AmeriCorps program,’ said Jessica Lown, community outreach supervisor for Polk County Conservation. ‘And those are 22 individual people who have had to navigate this. We were really looking forward to getting those folks moving this year and having another really successful year in partnership with AmeriCorps. So this is very disappointing, of course.’” [Iowa’s News Now, 5/12/25]

Image: see original report, p. 41

[Iowa’s News Now, 5/12/25]

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Lost $520,525 In Federal Funding Because Of DOGE Cuts To AmeriCorps. “But in late April, Iowa’s AmeriCorps grant recipients received word that the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was considering cuts to the national service agency. […] Among them was the Iowa AmeriCorps 4H Outreach Program at Iowa State University, which lost over $640,000 in federal funds. Others included the Iowa Economic Development Authority ($520,525), the Conservation Corps for Iowa ($431,913) and the City of Davenport ($437,206). In total, the cuts to all recipients were over $4.5 million and resulted in a loss of more than half of the state’s AmeriCorps members — 568 people.” [Iowa Public Radio, 7/15/25]

  • The Economic Development Authority Used AmeriCorps To “Address Food Insecurity And Provide Resources For Iowans In Need.” “The Economic Development Authority of Iowa used AmeriCorps members to address food insecurity and provide resources for Iowans in need.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

2025: DOGE Cut Iowa Legal Aid By $244,071, Affecting 16 Jobs Related To The Program. [Iowa’s News Now, 5/12/25]

Image: see original report, p. 42

[Iowa’s News Now, 5/12/25]

Des Moines Register: Iowa Legal Aid Was Used To “Help Iowans Access Legal Information, Resources And Support.” “But there one day and gone the next was a helping hand for a wide mix of Iowa organizations with disparate needs: Iowa Legal Aid had been using corps members to help Iowans access legal information, resources and support.” [Des Moines Register, 5/1/25]

2025: Lutheran Services In Iowa Was Forced To Lay Off 28 People Across The State, Including 17 Workers In Des Moines, Because Of DOGE Cuts

2025: DOGE Cut A $300,000 Grant For The Lutheran Services In Iowa, Inc That They Claimed Saved $277,644. [Center for American Progress, 4/9/25]

  • The Grant For Lutheran Services In Iowa Was Listed As A “Citizenship Education And Training” Grant. [Center for American Progress, 4/9/25]
  • The Grant Appeared To Be One That Lutheran Services In Owa Received To “Help Immigrants Seeking To Become U.S. Citizens.” “LSI is one of Iowa’s largest human services agencies, with more than 500 employees and an operating budget of $32 million. The organization offers a wide range of services, from assistance to refugee and immigrant populations to aid for people with disabilities and care for mental health. Wuertz said other LSI services were not affected by the federal funding freeze but that it also isn't receiving funds from a federal grant from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services that it used to help immigrants seeking to become U.S. citizens. ‘We are still standing strong as an organization and providing a lot of important services,’ he said.” [Des Moines Register, 3/6/25]

March 2025: Lutheran Services In Iowa Laid Off 28 Employees Statewide Because Of Trump Administration And DOGE Cuts To The Program. “Lutheran Services in Iowa says it is laying off 28 employees across the state, a move that comes after LSI leaders told lawmakers last month the organization was facing ‘tough decisions’ as a result of the Trump administration withholding more than $1.5 million in program costs for refugee resettlement. A notice LSI filed Thursday on the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, site says the layoffs will be effective March 28. The site listed 17 layoffs in in Des Moines, seven in Sioux City and four in Waterloo — all communities where LSI provides refugees services.” [Des Moines Register, 3/6/25]

  • Des Moines Register: 17 Of The 28 Layoffs Were “In Des Moines.” “Lutheran Services in Iowa says it is laying off 28 employees across the state, a move that comes after LSI leaders told lawmakers last month the organization was facing ‘tough decisions’ as a result of the Trump administration withholding more than $1.5 million in program costs for refugee resettlement. A notice LSI filed Thursday on the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, site says the layoffs will be effective March 28. The site listed 17 layoffs in in Des Moines, seven in Sioux City and four in Waterloo — all communities where LSI provides refugees services.” [Des Moines Register, 3/6/25]

We Are Iowa: The Lutheran Services In Iowa’s Layoffs Occurred Because The Trump Administration ‘Halted Over $1 Million In Funding For LSI’s Immigration Resettlement.” “Lutheran Services of Iowa (LSI) has been operating for nearly 160 years. However, a team that aims to help immigrants and refugees settle in Iowa has recently experienced a significant reduction in staff, according to the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN). ‘28 employees in our resettlement services line were given notice. This affects staff primarily in Waterloo, Sioux City and Des Moines,’ LSI CEO Renee Hardman said. She said the nonprofit's operating budget stands at $32 million, and the resettlement program accounts for just over 15% of that. ‘It's a piece to what we do, what we're most known for, but it's really $5.8 million out of a $32 million budget,’ Hardman said. The recent layoffs are attributed to changes at the federal level, specifically actions taken by the Trump administration, which halted over $1 million in funding for LSI's immigration resettlement followed by a stop work order for resettlement agencies.” [We Are Iowa, 3/6/25]

Lutheran Services In Iowa Was “One Of Iowa’s Largest Human Services Agencies, With More Than 500 Employees And An Operating Budget Of $32 Million.” “LSI is one of Iowa’s largest human services agencies, with more than 500 employees and an operating budget of $32 million. The organization offers a wide range of services, from assistance to refugee and immigrant populations to aid for people with disabilities and care for mental health.” [Des Moines Register, 3/6/25]

Lutheran Services In Iowa Offered “Assistance To Refugee And Immigrant Populations To Aid For People With Disabilities And Care For Mental Health.” “LSI is one of Iowa’s largest human services agencies, with more than 500 employees and an operating budget of $32 million. The organization offers a wide range of services, from assistance to refugee and immigrant populations to aid for people with disabilities and care for mental health.” [Des Moines Register, 3/6/25]

March 2025: DOGE Cancelled More Than $1 Billion For Local Food Programs, Limiting Iowa Farmers Markets And Putting Over 300 Iowa Family Farms At Risk Of “Large Financial Losses”

March 2025: DOGE Cut “More Than $1 Billion In Funding” For Two Programs That “Help Food Banks Distribute Healthy, Local Food” Across The Country

March 2025: DOGE Abruptly Cancelled “More Than $1 Billion In Funding” For “Programs To Help Food Banks Distribute Healthy, Local Food.” “The abrupt cancellation of government funding for programs to help food banks distribute healthy, local food is being felt across the country, as some already strapped organizations turn to their local communities for help. In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was cutting more than $1 billion in funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement programs for 2025. The money was designed to pay farmers to provide food to schools and food banks, giving a boost to local producers while giving fresh options to children and communities. […] The cuts come as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency target a long list of government programs and federal jobs for sweeping cuts in recent months. The USDA told USA TODAY that the LFPA cuts were a ‘return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives.’” [USA Today, 3/31/25]

  • The “More Than $1 Billion In Funding” Cut By DOGE Included Funding For “The Local Food For Schools Cooperative Agreement And The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement.” “The abrupt cancellation of government funding for programs to help food banks distribute healthy, local

food is being felt across the country, as some already strapped organizations turn to their local communities for help. In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was cutting more than $1 billion in funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement programs for 2025. The money was designed to pay farmers to provide food to schools and food banks, giving a boost to local producers while giving fresh options to children and communities.” [USA Today, 3/31/25]

  • Des Moines Register: “The Move Is Part Of The Drive By President Donald Trump’s Department Of Government Efficiency, Guided By Tech Billionaire Elon Musk, To Cut Government Spending.” “Preparing for the year ahead, Ashley and Zachary Wenke added 350 more egg-laying hens, planted hundreds more tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in their east-central Iowa farm’s high-tunnel greenhouses and hired more workers to meet the growing needs of area schools, food banks, pantries and day care providers. Now they’re among 300 Iowa farm families facing large financial losses and an uncertain future after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed $1 billion nationally from the local food programs that helps make those purchases possible. […] The move is part of the drive by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, guided by tech billionaire Elon Musk, to cut government spending.” [Des Moines Register, 3/18/25]

The Over $1 Billion In Cuts Limited Iowa Farmers Ability To Sell Their Products, Putting 300 Family Farms At Risk Of “Large Financial Losses” That Would Potentially Negatively Impact Their Local Communities

Des Moines Register: “300 Iowa Farm Families” Faced “Large Financial Losses And An Uncertain Future After The U.S. Department Of Agriculture Slashed $1 Billion Nationally From The Local Food Programs.” “Preparing for the year ahead, Ashley and Zachary Wenke added 350 more egg-laying hens, planted hundreds more tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in their east-central Iowa farm’s high-tunnel greenhouses and hired more workers to meet the growing needs of area schools, food banks, pantries and day care providers. Now they’re among 300 Iowa farm families facing large financial losses and an uncertain future after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed $1 billion nationally from the local food programs that helps make those purchases possible.” [Des Moines Register, 3/18/25]

  • Des Moines Register: The Local Food Programs Cancelled By DOGE Had Helped Build “A Strong Infrastructure Of Food Hubs, Cooperatives And Distributors That Enabled Them To Sell More Of Their Products.” “Farmers say the USDA’s local food programs were building a strong infrastructure of food hubs, cooperatives and distributors that enabled them to sell more of their products, often aggregating goods so small farmers could supply big buyers. The efforts expanded growers’ geographic reach in Iowa, helping get fresh Iowa produce, meat and dairy to families in so-called rural food deserts. For those families, ‘their grocery stores are the nearest Casey’s. Or they’re driving 30 or 40 minutes to get to a store,’ says Grimm, who also raises meat chickens, beans and vegetables on a farm near Williamsburg.” [Des Moines Register, 3/18/25]
  • Des Moines Register: “Officials Say Every Dollar Spent On Local Foods Roughly Doubles In Economic Impact As Spending By Farmers Ripples Through The Economy.” “Farmers say the USDA’s local food programs were building a strong infrastructure of food hubs, cooperatives and distributors that enabled them to sell more of their products, often aggregating goods so small farmers could supply big buyers. The efforts expanded growers’ geographic reach in Iowa, helping get fresh Iowa produce, meat and dairy to families in so-called rural food deserts. For those families, ‘their grocery stores are the nearest Casey’s. Or they’re driving 30 or 40 minutes to get to a store,’ says Grimm, who also raises meat chickens, beans and vegetables on a farm near Williamsburg. […] Johnson says she believes table food farmers are ‘what’s actually going to revitalize the rural economy.’ Officials say every dollar spent on local foods roughly doubles in economic impact as spending by farmers ripples through the economy.” [Des Moines Register, 3/18/25]

Source report (PDF)