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...

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...

CSA Farm Share
The relationship between a CSA member and a farmer is a very unique one. Both benefit from the experience in many different ways and we’ve learned a lot over the last few years. Some of these things include the share sizes we sell, the quantity of produce needed for 7 solid meals, and the quality it takes to give you an enjoyable experience from week to week. Although, we want to emphasize the risk vs. reward is still very real from season to season, we should always be focused on this.

With that said, we will be offering subscribers a “small share” only. This is our most popular size and will be a beefed-up version of the small share we provided in 2021. It will feed up to 2 people and you will receive 7 to 9 vegetables each week. 

If you have more than 2 people in your family you will have the option to purchase an additional share or two at a discounted rate to double or triple the amount of food you receive.

This new system will…

• improve the quality of vegetables and customer service you receive
• help streamline the weekly harvest and portion sizes
• simplify the weekly pickup system
• help push our CSA to people outside of the Hatfield area who haven’t tried it before

Farmers' Markets
In early 2021 we were invited to participate in a brand new farmers’ market in the city of Chicopee to help bring fresh local food to its townspeople. This would be our first farmers’ market ever! After a short time, word got out and we were asked to attend multiple markets in the area to do the same, 3 markets in total. We learned, if done correctly, this was very lucrative for our farm.

Some of the planning process this winter is to expand this part of our business with its own manager and crew. These new markets will give us the opportunity to build the Bardwell Farm name, sell our product in multiple areas, and reach more people who are lacking the availability of access to fresh food. 

Farm Layout & Management 
2021 has taught us so many lessons. We have taken these winter months to regroup and focus on what it takes to run all the different parts of Bardwell Farm. As we all know, labor is the most crucial part of any business. This season we will be shifting our workforce to where we find it most important; in the fields, packhouse, and retail spaces where true production happens. We work to fulfill a strong crew this season that is verse in all areas of our business to bring the best service to your table. 

Wholesale has also become an important part of our business as well. As we continue to expand our customer base, just like the retail side, we see this as an essential part to keep our farm viable. Streamlining growing practices, harvesting, and logistics to a larger scale of operation will help with rising labor costs and sustain our business for years to come. 

Our farm will continue to adjust to the adverse climate but new challenges will also come this season. Our business is growing and there will always be ups, downs, and struggles. We will do our best to meet all of these goals. But, it is our ultimate goal to present you with the best possible product and service we can 365 days a year. 

We are here for you.

If you have any questions or concerns please call (413) 800-5583 or message us at [email protected].

Thank you for your support!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

To our valued customers,

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this difficult and challenging growing season. As you may already know, many weather related events resulted in severe crop loss, so much so it rivaled that of previous years. This coupled with a workforce outage impacted every aspect of our day-to-day operations. One day at a time we got through it all and I feel we are much stronger for it. We are beyond grateful to see the light at the end of the tunnel as this season comes to a close and a new one begins this January. 

During the winter months we reflect on the good and the bad, it’s how we learn and grow as farmers. We deep dive into all aspects of running a diversified agricultural business; we look at the crops we grew and how weather affected them, the products we sold, the sales channels we filled, and the employees and the skill sets we needed to keep our business running.

With that said, we will be restructuring our business model in the coming weeks. Many important and difficult decisions will be made to create the next chapter of Bardwell Farm. As we finalize plans for 2022 stay informed by visiting our social media and website for announcements.

I personally want to thank the individuals who understood the issues and struggles we faced during this really difficult year, and most importantly, the ones who have believed-in and supported us from the start, we appreciate you.

Owner Harrison Bardwell