ST. PAUL — Advocates of nutrition education for food stamp recipients in Minnesota said they’re bracing for a deep cut in federal assistance.

Nutrition educators expect Minnesota will lose nearly a fourth of its $9.7 million dollar funding in 2013. Congress recently took about $110 million from the nutritional education component of food stamps and used it to keep the dairy industry’s price support system from expiring.

The University of Minnesota Extension runs the state nutrition education program. Community nutrition educators help families include health food in their tight grocery budgets.

Extension Dean Bev Durgan said nutrition educators may go fewer places and reach fewer people one-on-one, which could lessen the program’s effectiveness.