The future of food security among low-income Washingtonians, and Americans nationwide, faces growing threats amid the Trump administration’s massive $1 billion slash in funding to food assistance programs across the country. Working to combat the sting of federal cuts, local health and food policy leaders are banning together to prevent worsening food access and health disparities across the District.
“Many neighborhoods in the District do not have access to healthy food,” said D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At-large), during the District’s Committee on Health public hearing March 17. “Approximately 330,000 residents are living in areas that are classified as low food access at this point, [with] 111,000 earning less than 185% of the federal poverty line.”
With the District battling food insecurity and federal cuts, Henderson introduced the Farmers Market Support Amendment Act. The bill aims to establish a support program within the Department of Health to assist farmers markets, particularly in low-food access areas. It includes a grant program to incentivize market expansion and standardized permitting with reduced fees, while sustaining affordability for both community vendors and shoppers alike.
“As you all know, farmers markets are essential for improving access to healthy, affordable [foods] and supporting small farmers and District small businesses, as well as helping to build community,” Henderson said during the hearing.
This legislation comes as federal programs are being cut including the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceling the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS).
The LFPA annually was responsible for funding roughly $500 million worth of food deliveries to food banks, while the LFS was set to allocate approximately $660 million to allow schools and childcare facilities to purchase fresh food options from local farms.
In a statement to The Hill, the USDA explained that both programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”
With the threat of losing more federal funding dollars, Henderson and local leaders want legislation in place to help local farmers and entrepreneurs who work to provide access to healthy food for all residents.
“Ward 8 has been a food desert for decades, leaving residents with limited access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Unfortunately, this is still true in 2025. The Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025 (Bill 26-0109) is a critical step toward addressing food insecurity and creating real food equity in our city,” ANC Commissioner 8C Chair Salim Adofo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Adofo, a Ward 8 D.C. Council candidate, emphasized how the legislation could help Ward 8 residents and all Washingtonians.
“This bill will provide much-needed support to farmers markets in low-food-access areas, like Ward 8,” he said, “by streamlining permits, providing grants, and ensuring affordability for vendors and shoppers alike.”
Local Farmers Markets
Currently, there are 53 independent farmers markets operating across all eight wards of the District.
Throughout most of the city, many of these markets host shoppers that use both federal and local food assistance programs, and the District offers a bevy of benefits for low income residents, including the Farmers Market Nutrition programs for women, children and seniors, as well as the Produce Plus Program. All efforts work in concert to support residents restricted to healthier food choices.
Eager to support the continuation of the local farmers markets economy, Stefan Templeton, CEO and founder of the Farmers Alliance, attested to the value of funding local farmers and organic food markets to improve food security outcomes across the city. His organization operates in collaboration with the UDC School of Agriculture’s CAUSES program, in spaces around the District, while working closely with other suppliers such as Ward 8 Farmers Market.
“By giving our small to medium-sized producers a voice in Washington, we are really focused on providing healthy and affordable food to our communities, especially those in low food access [areas],” Templeton said. “This is primarily and should be presented as a matter of food security and public health. Foremost, we must recognize the farmers markets are an integral part of the solution. They’re proven tools for expanding access to fresh local food while strengthening community ties.”
Not only is USDA funding critical to local farmers, but data in the District and nation show comorbidities like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, with poverty and scarce food options.
These varying health concerns continue to inspire local wellness advocates like Pamela Hess, executive director of Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, to continue supporting efforts to improve food outcomes in underserved communities.
“When I started with Arcadia, exactly 12 years ago, last week, I went out in our mobile markets, which go out into Wards 7 and 8, Ward 5, and Ward 2. When I was out there, I saw a lot of people missing lower limbs, and because I used to be a war correspondent, I presumed that these people were veterans, [as] the signature, visible injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was a lower limb amputation,” Hess told the council. “So I asked my staff, ‘There seems to be a lot of war veterans here?’ And they said, ‘No, this is diabetes.’”
Hess compared numbers, revealing 2,000 amputations over 20 years of war, versus a score of roughly 180,000 diabetic amputations in the United States annually.
Through her organization’s work in the community, Hess understands the tremendous service that local producers bring to the health of District residents, and insists the community mutually supports the local farm economy.
“[Many] People will have a limb cut off because we can’t be bothered to provide affordable, good quality food that’s convenient and people actually want to eat it. And so, that’s where the mobile markets come in,” said Hess. “Our mobile markets have been serving D.C. since 2012 and we have moved more than $2 million worth of food. Don’t tell me that there is no demand for this food in these neighborhoods. There is.”
