Emma Jagoz, the owner of Moon Valley Farm in Frederick County, Maryland, has provided fruits and vegetables to school systems for years. News4’s Darcy Spencer reports.
A local farmer is feeling the brunt of the Trump administration's cuts to agricultural programs.
Emma Jagoz, the owner of Moon Valley Farm in Frederick County, Maryland, has provided fruits and vegetables to school systems in the state for years through the "Farm to School" program.
But Jagoz said the state recently told her the program will be discontinued at the end of the school year because of the cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"My first reaction is disappointment and heartbreak because this program is serving the communities, it's supporting farmers, it's stabilizing our operations at a time when our costs are rising,"
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
A first-generation farmer, Jagoz founded Moon Valley Farm in 2012.
Since then, she's been able to grow her business in part through USDA programs.
Jagoz began providing fresh produce to schools in 12 Maryland counties, including Montgomery and Prince George's, in 2021.
"We are also really passionate about growing for children. I am a mother and I love the idea of having produce that's fresh from the local community right in the cafeterias where my children are eating, " she said.
Jagoz said providing radishes, carrots, apples, strawberries and healthy salad bar foods to hundreds of schools across the region was especially important to her as a mom of two.
"We start with the youngest kids, to be honest. They are the most open to diversifying their lunch from pizza," she said.
Moon Valley is an aggregate of 50 other farms so the cuts don't just affect Jagoz's business.
While Jagoz is disappointed the program is ending, she said it won't mean the end of Moon Valley Farm.
"Farmers are extremely resilient people and we are used to blows. They're usually weather related," she said.
She's already thinking of how she can pivot and find new ways to sell her produce.
The Maryland Department of Education told News4 the USDA grant that was canceled would have provided more than $8 million dollars for locally grown food for schools and child care centers for the next three years.
Montgomery County Public Schools told News4 it's waiting for guidance from the state on what the administration's executive orders will mean for its federally funded programs.
Prince George's County Public Schools has not yet responded to News4's request for comment.
