The Trump administration is ending a $1 billion program that allowed food banks and schools nationwide to buy food from local farmers, the Agriculture Department has confirmed.

It’s one of two pandemic-era programs initiated by the Biden Administration as a way to support local farmers and ranchers while also feeding families hit economically during the pandemic.

About $660 million of that $1 billion went to schools and childcare centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program. A separate program provided around $340 million to food banks.

“The COVID era is over — USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, according to the Yolo Food Bank, food insecurity is on the rise with much of those in distress being women.

According to data provided by the Yolo Food Bank, UCLA conducted a study that found that women account for nearly 43% of the food-insecure population in California. Nationally, 35% of households led by single mothers experience food insecurity, compared to 23% of those led by single fathers, and around the world, women and girls make up 60% of the 690 million people facing food insecurity.

And just recently, The Democrat published a story about the Center for Land-Based Learning holding a popup Mobile Farmers Market in Woodland as part of a “popup series” which began in January and runs through April.

According to the Center for Land-Based Learning’s website, the Mobile Farmers Market trucks are a part of the center’s Community Food Program, Follow The Tomato, which was created to help bring fresh, local, and sustainably-grown produce to food-insecure neighborhoods throughout Yolo County.

The mobile truck was first stationed outside of the Boys and Girls Club on Cross Street. Later it was located at Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency on North Cottonwood Street. It will be returning to those locations in the future.

Why bring up this information? Well, there are a number of long-time farmers throughout Yolo County who are big supporters of Donald Trump. Others may or may not support Trump but have contributed much to the Yolo Food Bank.

I’m thinking specifically of the Muller family. While I don’t know their politics, the family has been involved for years helping the Yolo Food Bank and are to be commended for their efforts.

There are others, however, notably some involved with the Yolo Taxpayers Association, who have worked to defeat local measures that would fund school districts to help pay for upgrading infrastructure and education.

While that is their right, it would seem to me farmers are now on the same side as educators.

Farmers will be losing a valuable source of income with the cancellation of contracts to provide food to Food Banks and childcare centers. And school districts are undoubtedly going to suffer if the federal Department of Education is shuttered, as has been promised by Trump.

And this doesn’t consider the effect being brought on by tariffs, which will certainly reduce the income of farmers who can’t trade with Canada, Mexico, China without losing their shirts.

Maybe it’s time for those growers who have backed Trump to step up and support children and students who may no longer have access to the produce and other commodities that enable free or reduced-priced meals.

After all, what else are farmers going to do with the crops they can no longer sell?

Jim Smith is the former editor of The Daily Democrat, retiring in 2021 after a 27-year career at the paper.