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In the rugged landscape of West Virginia, where undulating mountains meet tenacious communities, farmers Tim and Rebecca Cooper embody the resilience and struggles of America’s small-scale agricultural producers. After aggressively expanding their Cooper Farms operation in response to a promising federal initiative, they now find themselves grappling with the abrupt cancellation of crucial government support, soaring input costs, and an ever-increasing demand for affordable food from their neighbors. Their story, unfolding in the unincorporated town of Points, highlights the intricate and often precarious balance between national policy, local economies, and the fundamental human need for sustenance.
A Glimpse into Rural Life and Local Markets
The first Friday of October 2026 saw Tim and Rebecca Cooper engaged in the familiar rhythm of farm life, preparing for the weekly farmers’ market in nearby Paw Paw. Rebecca, with a black crate of vibrant red grape tomatoes resting on her hip, oversaw rows of squash stretching behind her, a testament to their dedication. Tim, climbing onto the seat of an aged John Deere 2350 tractor, called out to their five daughters. The girls, a mix of barefoot freedom and energetic enthusiasm, joined their father as he slowly drove the tractor, loosening the soil. They eagerly reached into the freshly turned earth, pulling up carrots and tossing them into crates, their laughter echoing across the fields. Young Gabby, the youngest, proudly held up a carrot like a prized catch, a gap-toothed grin illuminating her face. Within minutes, enough produce was harvested for the market, a scene of bucolic harmony that belies the significant challenges facing Cooper Farms.
Since establishing Cooper Farms in 2019, the Coopers have been driven by a dual motivation: fostering joyful family moments steeped in agricultural tradition and ensuring that their community has access to nutritious food, particularly for those who might otherwise struggle. However, sustaining this vision has become increasingly difficult. Like many individuals and families across West Virginia interviewed by Civil Eats ahead of the recent midterm elections, the Coopers have experienced firsthand how recent federal policy shifts have compounded their difficulties, pushing them to advocate for small farms and hunger relief both in Charleston, the state capital, and Washington, D.C. They believe these priorities are fundamental to the nation’s health and well-being.
The Rise and Fall of Federal Support: The LFPA Program
The Coopers’ most significant recent challenge began with what appeared to be an extraordinary opportunity. In 2022, under the administration of former President Joe Biden, West Virginia’s Mountaineer Food Bank received substantial federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program. This innovative program was designed to strengthen regional food systems by enabling food banks and other food assistance organizations to purchase fresh, locally grown produce and meat from area farmers. The LFPA was part of a broader federal effort to bolster supply chain resilience, support local economies, and enhance food access, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which exposed vulnerabilities in the national food distribution network.
For the Coopers, whose mission aligns perfectly with the LFPA’s goals, this program was a dream realized. Tim, having grown up experiencing poverty and his mother’s struggles to put food on the table, found deep personal satisfaction in being paid to feed families like his own. The Mountaineer Food Bank offered to purchase nearly all the vegetables and pork Cooper Farms could produce, providing a stable, high-volume market that small farms often lack. This contract allowed the Coopers to plan for significant growth and investment.
“We were asked to scale up, and we did,” Tim recounted. They invested heavily, constructing new high tunnels to facilitate year-round cultivation of crops such as cabbage, arugula, and various lettuces. By March 2025, their high tunnels and adjacent fields were teeming with vibrant produce, representing a substantial financial and labor investment based on the anticipated federal contracts.
The Abrupt Reversal and Its Devastating Impact
Then, the devastating news arrived. Representatives from Mountaineer Food Bank informed the Coopers that they would be unable to fulfill their purchasing contracts. The reason: the Trump administration’s decision to cancel LFPA funding. This abrupt policy reversal left the Coopers, and many other farmers across the state, in an untenable position. Tim recalled looking out over his meticulously cultivated early spring landscape, heartbroken. “All that money is spent. Everything’s ordered. Now, where do you go with it? We can’t just go to the local store and try to sell a half-a-million-dollar crop,” he lamented. The thought of failure, especially with five daughters watching, was unbearable.
Rebecca’s immediate concern also centered on their children. “Having five kids, it really brings panic,” she shared. “Two of our kids were born in this house here on this farm. You’re thinking that you’d hate to have to leave here and go do something else.” The prospect of losing their farm, their home, and their way of life loomed large.
The Coopers’ experience was not isolated. Across West Virginia, Nathan Bergdoll, a planning coordinator for the state Department of Agriculture, confirmed that he had been having similar, distressing conversations with numerous farmers and families in low-income communities over the past two years. “The opportunities are just not there for local food, period,” Bergdoll stated, expressing his frustration. “And I just don’t know what to do for folks half the time, because they’re calling me saying, ‘I’m going to be bankrupt. I’m going out of business. I’m going to have to sell my home. I’m going to have to sell my property.’” He emphasized that these federal programs had been instrumental in building out robust local food systems, which have now “fallen to pieces for no apparent reason.”
Policy Paradox: "Make America Healthy Again" vs. Local Food Cuts
The cancellation of the LFPA funding was particularly shocking to Tim Cooper given the Trump administration’s alignment with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement. Tim noted that while he had seen news reports discussing potential budget cuts, he firmly believed that initiatives focused on healthy food, like the LFPA, would be exempt. “There’s no possible way that they’re going to take this money from local producers,” he had thought. The stated objectives of MAHA, which ostensibly championed improved nutrition and health outcomes, seemed fundamentally at odds with defunding a program that directly facilitated access to fresh, healthy, local produce for vulnerable communities.
Further complicating the situation was the stance of West Virginia’s Republican Governor, Patrick Morrissey. Morrissey had been one of the first governors in the nation to publicly align himself with MAHA’s healthy food objectives. Tim and others hoped this alignment would translate into state-level support to mitigate the federal cuts. However, Governor Morrissey and Republican state lawmakers have consistently declined to fund a state-level program mirroring the LFPA. “Our governor, he just does not want to hear it at all, and a lot of our legislators don’t want to hear it,” Tim observed, highlighting a perceived disconnect between stated health priorities and tangible policy action. This political inaction has left West Virginia farmers and food banks scrambling to fill a significant void left by the federal withdrawal.
Navigating Food Deserts and Stretching SNAP Dollars
Despite these formidable challenges, the Coopers have persevered, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to feeding their community. Later that same October afternoon, they arrived at the Magnolia Market in Paw Paw, a new initiative run by Community Markets, Inc. Paw Paw, a small village of approximately 400 residents nestled in a bend of the Potomac River, is a quintessential food desert. The closest full-service grocery store is a daunting 30-minute drive away. The only local retailers are a gas station and a Dollar General, where on that day, the “produce section” consisted of packaged peanut brittle and bottled lemon juice, and meat cases stood conspicuously empty with signs reading “temporarily unavailable.”
On the lawn of the town’s visitors’ center, the Coopers meticulously arranged their harvest: peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, dark purple and green beans, and potatoes. Pumpkins and gourds added a seasonal touch, clustered next to a sign promoting “Stretch Your SNAP!” Rebecca proudly displayed the colorful SNAP Stretch “dollars” she provides to shoppers utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This innovative incentive program offers additional buying power: one extra dollar for single adults, two for families with children, and three for grandparents raising children, effectively doubling the value of their SNAP benefits for local produce.
Beverly Kerns, a volunteer at the market, sat nearby, conversing with families. Kerns, a 67-year-old lifelong resident of Paw Paw, raised two children as a single parent and has relied on SNAP benefits since becoming disabled at 30. Now a senior citizen grappling with ongoing health issues, she represents the demographic for whom such programs are a lifeline. Each week, she purchases fresh produce from the Coopers, augmenting her benefits with SNAP Stretch dollars. For the impending winter, when the market closes, she has diligently canned 20 quarts of green beans, frozen 14 jars of vegetable soup, and prepared pizza sauce and salsa for her grandchildren. “I want to encourage my family to eat fresh,” Kerns stated, expressing her concern about rising food prices. She noted that meat purchased directly from the farmers at Magnolia Market was not only fresher but often more affordable than options at the closest Walmart, 45 minutes away.
Tim Cooper affirmed the growing need they observe weekly at the market. Food insecurity, far from diminishing, appears to be on the rise. “Whether they can pay us or not, they’re never turned away,” he asserted. “I’ve lived that lifestyle, and where we’re at right now in life, we’re blessed to be a blessing to people. Until the Lord shows me otherwise, this is exactly what we’re going to do.” This ethos of community support underscores the vital role small farms play in areas underserved by conventional retail.
The Economic Squeeze: High Input Prices and Soaring Land Costs
While their customers contend with high food prices, Tim and Rebecca Cooper face their own economic pressures on the supply side. “Right now, our biggest challenges are that fertilizer is going up and diesel is through the roof and steadily going up,” Tim explained. Global energy markets, impacted by geopolitical events and supply chain disruptions, have driven up the cost of agricultural inputs significantly. For instance, the price of nitrogen fertilizer saw increases of over 100% in 2021-2022, with fluctuating but persistently high costs continuing into 2026. Similarly, diesel fuel, essential for running tractors and transporting produce, has experienced sustained price inflation, often exceeding national averages in rural areas. “It’s tight enough margins as it is, and this isn’t helping at all,” Tim emphasized.
The Coopers typically order their supplies a year in advance, a practice that usually provides some cost predictability. However, as they look towards November to begin their procurement process for the next season, they face profound uncertainty regarding future pricing. The prospect of further cost escalations threatens to erode their already slim profit margins, making sustainable farming an increasingly precarious venture.
Another looming threat to small-scale agriculture in West Virginia is the skyrocketing cost of farmland. The Coopers consider themselves fortunate to have purchased their farm years ago at $2,500 per acre. In stark contrast, properties in their valley sold last year for $6,000 and even $10,000 an acre. This dramatic appreciation in land value, a national trend amplified in scenic rural areas, makes it nearly impossible for aspiring or beginning farmers to acquire land. Data from the USDA and real estate associations indicate that U.S. farmland values have consistently risen, with West Virginia experiencing significant increases driven by demand from outside investors.
Tim noted that this price surge means only wealthy families seeking country vacation homes or developers – often building massive data centers – can afford the land. Once agricultural land goes up for sale in their region, it is increasingly likely to be converted for non-farming uses. This trend not only diminishes the agricultural footprint but also fragments rural communities, replacing productive farms with luxury estates or industrial complexes.
The Enduring Value of Local Agriculture
What the Coopers do at Cooper Farms, where a family meal can be prepared almost entirely from what they grow – pork ribs from their hogs, scalloped potatoes from spuds dug earlier that summer – becomes all the more precious in this context. It represents a self-sufficiency and direct connection to the land that is rapidly disappearing.
“Agriculture is the backbone of America,” Tim declared, reflecting on the historical significance of farming. “I can’t think of a small town where you can’t ride down and see an old, abandoned fruit stand on the side of the road somewhere. That was someone’s livelihood.” These abandoned stands serve as silent monuments to a fading way of life, a testament to the economic forces and policy decisions that have chipped away at the foundation of local agriculture.
The Cooper family’s struggle and unwavering dedication underscore critical questions about the future of food systems in America. How can federal and state policies genuinely support local producers and ensure food security for all citizens? Can communities like Paw Paw continue to rely on the resilience and altruism of farmers like Tim and Rebecca Cooper in the face of systemic economic and political headwinds? Their story is not just about a farm in West Virginia; it is a microcosm of the broader challenges facing rural America, highlighting the urgent need for cohesive, supportive policies that recognize the invaluable role of small farms in nourishing both people and place.
