Stanley Zalewski picks a ripe bundle of romaine lettuce at the Wellspring Harvest greenhouse in Springfield, Massachusetts | Alexi Cohan  GBH News

Massachusetts farmers scrambling to sell crops after USDA funding cuts leave them without a buyer
Alexi Cohan | GBH News

May 01, 2025 On a humid April afternoon at Wellspring Harvest in Springfield, Stanley Zalewski is in the midst of a rapid search for a backup plan to sell countless heads of lettuce and basil plants.

He doesn’t have a buyer for much of the upcoming summer harvest, as he was expecting.

This season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $1 billion in two federal grant programs that had helped schools and food hubs pay for locally produced food. That’s left Massachusetts farmers scrambling in an already difficult-to-sustain industry — while the schools, food hubs, food pantries and food banks who got those grants grapple with an unifiable gap in fresh, local food.... read more

Protesters stood outside of Hadley's Town Hall on March 23 to speak out against federal funding cuts impacting local farms. JOHN GOVE

John Gove is a family farmer and environmental journalist in Leominster.

No federal grants spells bad news for the Mass. local food ecosystem
Funding cuts are taking money out of farmers’ pockets and food out
of hungry mouths.
By John Gove Updated April 23, 2025, 3:00 a.m.

Sunny afternoons in the spring mean New England farmers are tending to their
greenhouses, working with livestock, or pruning their fruit trees in preparation for the upcoming growing season. Protesting usually doesn’t make the list of chores.

In late March, several hundred farmers, their supporters, and legislators gathered at
the Town Hall in Hadley to voice their frustration with cuts made by the Department
of Government Efficiency to federal programs that provide grants to farmers...

​Read full article

Harrison talks about a solution when he runs out of room in the greenhouse. Grab a coffee and come farming with us!

​It would mean the world if you subscribed to our YouTube channel and liked today's video. Your support helps us reach more people who love farming like you!

Harvest Cash Cash Open Enrollment Link:
www.bardwellfarm.com/hcc.html

​About Bardwell Farm:

Bardwell Farm is a 50 acre diversified vegetable farm settled in Hatfield, Massachusetts growing over 50 varieties of crops in some of the richest silt loams along the Connecticut River. Established in 1685, we are proud to cultivate the finest produce and serve the Pioneer Valley through our roadside farm stand and wholesale distribution services.

Contact:

Rick Labrecque | Sales & Marketing Manager
[email protected]
(413) 800-5583

Social Media:

YouTube > www.youtube.com/@bardwellfarm1685 
Facebook > www.facebook.com/bardwellfarm
Instagram > www.instagram.com/bardwellfarm
Threads > www.threads.net/@bardwellfarm
Bluesky > https://bsky.app/profile/bardwellfarm.bsky.social

Photo Bardwell Farm | Katie Degnan 

I want to extend my deepest gratitude for the opportunity to speak at the Hadley Farm Rally. It was truly inspiring to stand alongside so many passionate advocates for our local food system, especially in light of the devastating federal funding cuts.

The USDA's decision to cancel the Local Food for Schools and the LFPA (Local Food Purchase Assistance Program) is a direct assault on the resilience of our communities. It will have a profound impact on our children, our farmers, and our local economy for a very long time.

A big thank you to Kerry Taylor, your leadership is truly remarkable. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to this cause.

Kristen Wilmer, Stephen Taranto, and Claire Morenon of CISA, thank you for your guidance, support, and dedication to our farming community.

It was an honor to share the stage with all of you. Each of your stories resonated deeply and highlighted the urgent need to address these cuts. The impact extends far beyond spreadsheets; they affect real people, real families, and real communities.

For the folks who weren't there, the rally was an attempt to communicate the tangible losses our local farms, schools, food pantrys will be facing. The $12.2 million in Massachusetts alone, is not just a number; it represents lost opportunities for our children to access healthy, locally sourced food, and a severe blow to the livelihoods of farmers.

The impact will ripple through our communities. Schools will struggle to afford healthy food, local food hubs will face financial strain, and farmers will be left with unsold produce and unfinished projects. The domino effect is undeniable, and the consequences will be felt by us all.

Thank you again for providing a platform to address these critical issues. I am committed to continuing this fight alongside all of you.

Remember, our unity is our strength.

Harrison Bardwell
​

Video Bardwell Farm | Katie Degnan

Related:

• Local farmers lose USDA resources as federal cuts continue - Concord Bridge
  
• Valley farmers sound off over ag cuts at ‘Attack on Small Farms’ rally - Gazette
• ‘Cut hay, not USDA’: Mass. farmers rally in Hadley - Commonwealth Beacon
• Death by a thousand cuts - The Boston Globe​

​

Harrison talks about the Trump Administration cutting 1 billion dollars in federal funding, including LFPA and the Farm to School program.

USDA cancels 1 billion in local food | Politico
https://www.bardwellfarm.com/blog/usda-cancels-1b-in-local-food#
​
Death by a thousand cuts | Boston Globe
https://www.bardwellfarm.com/blog/death-by-a-thousand-cuts#

​If you like the video please give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and hit that notification bell to see more videos like this one.

Seedlings grow in starter trays at Urban Edge Farm in Cranston, R.I. The incubator farm, operated by Southside Community Land Trust, provides small farmers with access to land, greenhouses, and equipment. While farmers can continue growing, recent USDA cuts eliminating nearly $3 million from local food programs will significantly reduce market opportunities
ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF

The smash-and-grabbers who now run the country will destroy it with
their indiscriminate federal funding cuts. Here’s the damage one cut,
among the thousands, can do.
By Yvonne Abraham Globe Columnist, Updated March 15, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
​
The federal government was doing something smart, wonderful, and cost-effective for kids, small farmers, and the wider economy in Massachusetts...

Harrison takes a quick second to talk about Rapid Radios and how they performed at the farm.

Rapid Radios ► www.rapidradios.com 

​It would mean the world if you subscribed to our YouTube channel and liked today's video. Your support helps us reach more people who love farming like you!

USDA ended the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. | Rogelio V. Solis/AP

USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks
States have been notified that they will not receive 2025 funding for schools to buy food from nearby farms.
Marcia Brown | Politco

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending. read more...

Harrison talks about how important soil temperature is and how he is beginning to monitor it more closely and why.

You can purchase soil thermometer at the link below.

Reotemp® Stainless Steel Bi-Metal Thermometers $70

https://tinyurl.com/26dq3wxc

​If you like the video please give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and hit that notification bell to see more videos like this one :)