Uncertainty threatens Maine’s rural communities
Earlier today, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) held a press conference in South Portland, Maine, to hear from Maine farmers who are among those directly impacted by the federal funding freeze of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) payments. Millions of dollars in USDA funding, including funding for a variety of innovative, science-based programs that support farmers across the country, is now in question. Despite USDA stating that some payments are moving forward, the farmers who spoke today have not had their payments resumed.
“Federal funds help to support farm viability and keep young people in rural Maine,” says Carl Johanson of Goranson Farm, which is one of the largest employers in Dresden, Maine.
Many people know that farmers don’t go into farming to become wealthy and that they operate under the constant stress of uncertainty. Despite reliance on farmers to produce food for everyday consumers, private investors are not lining up to support innovation in the field. This is because there is little to no financial incentive for them to do so.
Historically, farmers have relied on the USDA, which has been consistent with its mission of supporting farmers and farm viability, often with technical assistance and a variety of science-based financial assistance programs, since the Dust Bowl in 1935. These programs include helping farmers who want to build new markets and reach more people; transition to organic production practices; construct infrastructure that will extend the growing season and increase yields to feed more people; adopt practices that will conserve and build healthy soil; and install solar power that will bring electricity to hard-to-reach places and reduce farm electricity costs over time.
In Maine, farmers are waiting on at least $1 million in contractual payments. The total is much higher when including the money that remains on farmer contracts earmarked for work that is scheduled to happen this year, and it more than doubles when adding up the payments that nonprofit service providers are waiting on. The federal funding freeze leaves farmers enrolled in affected programs with expenses that they weren’t anticipating, which is threatening the sustainability of their businesses. In addition to withholding appropriated funds, cuts to USDA staffing has led to a rapid loss of technical assistance providers.
“The impact of bringing our tax dollars home to invest in our farms, our community resilience, and our rural economies is significant,” says Sarah Alexander, executive director of MOFGA. “These programs can mean the difference between a farm succeeding or failing.”
And the ripple effect of these dollars reach well beyond the farm.
“Taking these funding opportunities away from farmers, breaking existing contracts with farmers — it affects all of us,” says Janelle Plummer, co-owner of New Spoke Farm in West Paris, Maine. “In the same way that food starts in a farmer’s field and ends on your plate, the repercussions of these political decisions will ripple out into all of our communities. The effect of this doesn’t end on my farm, it only begins there.”
Speakers included the following farmers:
Kevin Leavitt, Farmer Kev’s
Seth Kroeck, Crystal Spring Farm
Alyssa Adkins, Farthest Field Farm
Andy Smith and Caitlin Frame, The Milkhouse
Carl Johanson, Goranson Farm
Janelle Plummer, New Spoke Farm
Krysten Powell, Suncatcher Flower Farm
Rachel Chapman, Seven Moon Farm
Michael Levine, Avalon Acres
Rhiannon Hampson, Grace Pond Farm
Watch the full press conference below:
