The U.S. Department of Agriculture has canceled a $26.3 million federal grant that would have helped Illinois K-12 schools and child care centers purchase food from local farmers for school meals and snacks,

The U.S. Agriculture Department has cut two federal programs that spent over $1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches, the agency has confirmed to Reuters.

The Hunger Task Force partnered with eight different Wisconsin farms, including Happy Day Farmhaus. Padovano said the farm was asked to grow eggplant, tomatillos and garlic. She said those seedlings went into planters Tuesday before they learned of the USDA plans to phase out the program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting two federal programs that provided about $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers, part of what the agency said was a decision to "return to long-term,

A USDA spokesperson confirms the programs are being terminated because they “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”