It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share that due to loss of federal and other funding in 2025, and future budget deficit projections through 2030, MOFGA is in the process of restructuring, which includes the reduction of six staff positions. This restructuring is in response to the board recognizing MOFGA’s difficult financial situation and voting to ensure, as best as possible, the sustainability of the organization. Various alternatives have been discussed with the MOFGA Workers United union since November. These changes are necessary to put the organization on a path to financial stability by 2030, and allow for the remaining forty staff positions to have the resources necessary to maintain all core programs that achieve MOFGA’s mission.
We thank those of you who have reached out already with concern for MOFGA and the programs you rely on. We hear your feedback and want to reassure you and all of the farmers, gardeners, orchard enthusiasts, and MOFGA supporters that we understand how important our programs are for you, and the services you utilize will continue to be available for you.
As we’ve previously shared with all staff and the broader MOFGA community, for the last five years, MOFGA has been tracking a structural issue related to financial sustainability as expense increases have outpaced our income growth. We have made every effort to reduce operational expenses and increase revenue, including raising ticket prices for events, increasing fees for services, increasing fundraising efforts, and cutting back on programmatic expenses, including reducing positions as staff voluntarily left. Staff layoffs were held as a last resort, even during this tumultuous year when MOFGA’s federal grants were frozen, cancelled mid-stream, payments were delayed, and several multi-year grants ended.
The loss of federal funding in 2025 and beyond adds up to over $1 million in lost income, which made it clear that we needed to take action now to address multiple years of deficit budgets over $500k.
These federal grants are in MOFGA’s 2025 budget, and do not have a likelihood of renewal due to USDA cancellation, USDA pausing new applications, or changes in program to align with Trump Administration Executive Orders:
- Climate Smart Commodities Program- $149,662
- Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program- $175,675
- Dairy Business Innovation Center Grant- $42,450
- Farmers’ Market and Local Food Promotion Program- $34,781
- Extension Risk Management Education Grant – $36,456
- Risk Management Agency subaward: $37,524
- SARE Partnership Grant – $25,000
- GusNIP- $39,125
- Total: $540,673
Federal Grants that end in 2026:
- Natural Resource Conservation Service General Agreement for Technical Service: $90,327
- Transition to Organic Partnership Program: $518,000
- Organic Marketing Development Grant: $19,000
- SARE Research and Education subaward: $12,915
- Extension Risk Management Education: $43,182
- Total: $682,424
Every position at MOFGA does important work, and the individuals who work at MOFGA are extremely dedicated to MOFGA’s mission and meeting the needs of our community. The choice of which positions to restructure was based on program assessments of income and expenses, and our overall ability to continue to fulfill MOFGA’s mission. The restructuring plan includes the communications, operations, community education, and farmer programs teams, and the smallest number of reductions were made in these areas to allow all core programs to continue.
MOFGA will be continuing all core programs that are key to accomplishing our mission, including:
- MOFGA Certification Services
- The Common Ground Country Fair
- Beginning Farmer Programs
- The Journeyperson Program
- Farmer Technical Assistance
- Farmer trainings and workshops
- The Farmer to Farmer conference
- The Maine Heritage Orchard
- Public Policy Programs
- The Low Impact Forestry Program
- Community Education Programs
- Organic gardening workshops
- The Seed Swap and Scion Exchange
- Farm and Homestead Day
- Great Maine Apple Day
- PFAS Emergency Relief Fund
- PFAS support programs for farmers
- The Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener publication
Some previous program offerings may be scaled back, but we intend to continue offering the most impactful programs for our members and community moving forward. Just as MOFGA has stepped up over the last six years to meet farmer needs during the pandemic, the cancellation of dairy contracts, the PFAS crisis, the climate crisis, and now the federal funding crisis, we will continue to listen closely to our supporters, our farmers, and our community to prioritize the programming needed to help us all collectively navigate how we maintain and continue to transform our food system.
We’re working to be as generous and supportive with all staff as possible, including having resources available for those who are leaving MOFGA, as well as the staff members who are remaining at MOFGA. We are working collaboratively with the MOFGA Workers United union to follow the process for layoffs, and will also work with MOFGA Workers United to recall positions if possible in the future.
We ask for your continued support to help MOFGA do the work needed to support our farmers, empower people to feed their communities, and advocate for an organic future. This work is more important than ever.