The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) axed a program this week that was supporting farmers and food producers.

The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA reports on what it means for farmers in the county’s most northern state.

The USDA created the Regional Food Business Centers program in 2023 to strengthen local food economies, but on Tuesday, the department abruptly terminated that program, which was originally funded through pandemic relief money.

USDA officials said in a press release there was no long-term way to finance it.

Robbi Mixon is the executive director of the Alaska Food Policy Council, which was in charge of the program locally.

Mixon says this decision pulls back over $6 million in investment for Alaska, a state where the majority of food is imported and many villages are not on the road system.

“This was a chance for real economic investment into our food and farm businesses and fishers.”

A dozen business centers across the country were part of the program.

Each one worked to allocate grants to food producers and farmers and help them with grant writing, marketing and business planning.

The Alaska Food Policy Council was working within one of those centers.

“The program was tailored to address specific challenges in Alaska, so our huge geography.”

Mixon says the program takes other unique hurdles into account too, like transportation and logistic costs.

The council planned to award grants to over 50 food and farm businesses across Alaska, but as the council approached the time to award grants last winter, the Trump administration froze the funding, so the council had to pause their work.

“We were working with an organization that was looking to set up more fresh produce markets in rural Alaska. We were working with an organization that wanted to provide technical assistance for home-based food businesses … And we did have tribal partners as well.”

Still, Mixon says the Food Council will use its volunteer board and statewide working groups to advocate for investments and build stronger food systems for all Alaskans.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing Thursday on the nomination of William Kirkland for Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs.

He was nominated by President Donald Trump in February.

Kirkland is a member of the Navajo Nation and served in the Trump administration during the president’s first term.

In his testimony, Kirkland said he worked on a range of tribal issues at the White House, including efforts to address missing and murdered Indigenous women, and honoring Native Code Talkers.

Kirkland committed to uphold the federal trust responsibility, if confirmed, and work with tribal governments, tribal leaders, Alaska Native corporations, and Congress.

Senators questioned him about a number of topics including lack of punishment bureaucrats (aka law enforcement officers), water, and substance use and overdose.

Senators also asked how he’d advocate for tribes in the administration, especially as funding cuts are being made across federal programs.

Kirkland says communication is key.

“And collaborating with the tribal leaders to prioritize what needs they see are the most important. And specifically, when it comes to law enforcement and protecting our tribal communities, I think whatever dollars are allocated towards the office of Indian Affairs by Congress, we’re going to work to make sure that we get the best investment, that is allocated towards resources or law and order.”

Senators say the position requires a strong advocate to assist the Secretary of Interior in fulfilling the U.S. trust responsibility to tribes.

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