The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend $1.7 billion nationwide to support farmers, offer nutrition assistance and boost rural economies.
That includes $1.2 billion for food banks, schools, child care centers and more to buy from local farmers and growers.
The Farm Bill is normally one of the main funders of programs that provide food assistance. But the federal bill has been tied up in political debates. Because of this, Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, said farmers and organizations that provide food assistance have faced their own struggles…