North Carolina Budget Impasse and Federal Disruptions Compound to Impact Local Growers, Producers, and Food Hubs Working to Make Food Available to Families Facing Hunger.
More than 300 North Carolina farmers, faith leaders, and hunger-relief organizations are shining a spotlight on the unintended consequences of the state budget impasse – urging lawmakers to act on delayed funding that connects farms to food banks. In a letter to the General Assembly, impacted growers and producers join community and faith-based charities to highlight the vital nature of the longstanding, bipartisan partnership that provides food for families facing hunger while boosting revenue to local farms. The letter will be hand-delivered to legislators today, October 21, 2025, by representatives of Feeding the Carolinas, the state’s association of food banks.
“Right now, more than 1.6 million people are struggling to keep food on the table in North Carolina. That’s one out of every seven neighbors across the state,” said Eric Aft, Feeding the Carolinas Chair and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. “These funds are just as vital to local farms as they are to families facing hunger – and are becoming more and more important as the federal shutdown drags on. Our communities need this support.
Hunger in North Carolina has reached its highest point in a generation, while food banks and schools across the state have lost $30 million in federal funding to purchase food from local farms. The lost revenue in rural communities, in particular, is taking on even greater importance as the federal shutdown pushes even more families to seek food assistance. Though small in the scope of a biennial budget, the $9.1 million state investment in North Carolina-grown fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat is critical to meeting these challenges head on. Community leaders are raising the alarm that if lawmakers do not act soon, the state’s hunger relief system may reach a breaking point.