Wisconsin nutrition program faces job losses after congressional funding cut

A Vital Program Faces Uncertain Future

On a recent afternoon, the gym inside Cooper Elementary School was filled with the scent of sweet potatoes as children held knives and worked bunsen burners. Don’t be alarmed—this was not an emergency. The students were learning how to read recipes, dice onions, and chop bell peppers. Staff introduced them to fruits and vegetables through a little-known federally funded program designed to instill lifelong healthy habits in low-income populations that often lack easy access to healthy produce and can struggle with poverty and obesity.

However, scenes like this may soon disappear. The Trump Administration’s newly passed “Big, Beautiful Bill” cut off funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, also known as SNAP-Ed. Two of Wisconsin's Congressional Republicans who voted for the bill criticized SNAP-Ed as bloated government spending.

But the state health department says nutrition education works. Every $1 spent on nutrition education saves $10 in long-term health care costs. That’s why advocates of the SNAP-Ed program are puzzled by the government decision to axe it, given U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vision to "make America healthy again."

"It’s the teaching-a-man-to-fish instead of giving-him-a-fish concept," said Lisa Kingery, who runs FoodRight, Inc., which receives SNAP-Ed funding to offer programming in Milwaukee Public Schools. She said the program has had bipartisan support for decades. For example, it was strengthened in previous iterations of the Farm Bill, including under Republican administrations.

Congress could restore some or all SNAP-Ed funding either through an appropriations process that’s underway or through the Farm Bill. But the clock is ticking: Money runs out at the end of September.

Impact on Wisconsin’s Programs

Wisconsin was one of the first states to launch SNAP-Ed programming in 1992. The state health department distributes $12 million in SNAP-Ed funding annually to half a dozen agencies who, in turn, put staff in schools, senior centers, food pantries, and farmers markets to teach food stamp recipients how to eat healthier and live a more active lifestyle.

Most of the money goes to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, which offers programming in 70 of the state's 72 counties. While UW Extension is exploring ways to sustain some SNAP-Ed capacity through alternative funding sources, it has already begun winding down operations. Layoff notices went out to 92 SNAP-Ed educators, UW Extension director Karl Martin said.

Nearly 80% of UW Extension's SNAP-Ed work is with schools, and the data show strong results, said Kathryn Boryc Smock, who leads the programming. About 52% of youth participants ate more fruits, 36% consumed fewer sugary beverages, and 87% met physical activity goals. To address food insecurity, staff started "Share Tables," where students with unused or uneaten food could set it aside for redistribution to those in need.

UW Extension staff have also worked with 79 farmers markets to allow for purchases using food stamp benefits. This helps families eat healthier and helps local farmers earn a living. Marketing campaigns help spread the word to those unaware that food stamp benefits can be used at farmers markets.

In some counties, staff have doubled the incentive for families to shop locally by securing corporate sponsors. At the Janesville Farmers Market, for example, families on food stamps can receive double the amount they pay, with Farm and Fleet matching the amount paid to farmers.

Congressional Perspectives

Congressional Republicans see SNAP-Ed as a bureaucratic waste of taxpayer money. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who represents western Wisconsin, said the program is ineffective. He supports money going to the food stamp program feeding families, not educational programming related to it.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, who represents western Milwaukee suburbs, said the "Big Beautiful Bill" improved the food stamp program by expanding work requirements and eliminating SNAP-Ed. "We’re restoring integrity to SNAP, keeping it strong for families who truly need help, and finally putting Washington’s spending habits on a diet," Fitzgerald said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Fitzgerald said SNAP-Ed hasn't improved nutrition or reduced obesity, pointing to a 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office as confirmation it doesn't work. The GAO, a legislative oversight agency, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture had some information on the effectiveness of SNAP-Ed, but would be unable to ensure it met its goals without improving how it gathers information.

The offices for Wisconsin's other Congressional Republicans — Sen. Ron Johnson, Rep. Bryan Steil, Rep. Glenn Grothman, Rep. Tom Tiffany and Rep. Tony Wied — did not return emails asking if they support restoring SNAP-Ed funding and, if not, what specific concerns they had with the program.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson said the department will continue to operate a different nutrition education program to low-income families. This program is much smaller, serving about one-eighth of the people SNAP-Ed served, according to 2018 data.

"USDA will continue to support President Trump’s agenda while making certain we respect the generosity of the American taxpayer to Make America Healthy Again," the spokesperson said.

Local Organizations Adapt

Hunger Task Force receives nearly $470,000 annually in SNAP-Ed funding. It uses the money to bring MPS students to its kitchen and garden. Its three-person team also works in senior centers, food pantries, and at meal sites.

Hunger Task Force is working to secure more funding in the event the cuts go through, CEO Matt King said. The nonprofit is committed to continuing to offer nutrition education programming throughout Milwaukee County.

FoodRight, Inc. also works with MPS students. Its seven-person staff brings ingredients, recipes, and cutting boards into classrooms, and to MKE Rec sites in the summers. More recently, they were expanding into school cafeterias to improve lunch menus.

"This couldn’t have come at a worse time," Kingery said. "It’s a loss for MPS kids."