Democrats in the U.S. Senate will ask the Department of Agriculture to reverse the cancellation of programs that have funneled more than $2 billion for local food purchases to schools and food banks,

Schools and local food banks will lose about $1.1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the purchase of food from local farms, ranchers and producers.

Minnesota schools, child care centers and food banks will have less money to work with this year, following cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in two programs that allowed local groups to buy food directly from local farmers and producers.