Preparing for the year ahead, Ashley and Zachary Wenke added 350 more egg-laying hens, planted hundreds more tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in their east-central Iowa farm’s high-tunnel greenhouses and hired more workers to meet the growing needs of area schools, food banks, pantries and day care providers. Now they’re among 300 Iowa farm families facing huge financial losses and an uncertain future after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed $1 billion nationally from the local food programs that help make those purchases possible. Iowa food groups are struggling to understand the cuts, given President Donald Trump’s repeated pledge of support for U.S. farmers, his endorsement of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s goal to make “America Healthy Again” and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollin’s vow to revive rural America. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #USDA #farming #Trump