Throughout the week of March 17, better known as Ag Week, my team and I partnered with Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) to spotlight farms in the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district affected by federal and state cuts.
Farming is hard enough without cuts to vital programs. Read on, and as you do, please consider the ways that you can support area farms at this difficult time.
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First up was The Long Game Orchard in Northfield. Pictured are Ben Paly, his wife Andrea Tosi, and their daughter Maya. (Thank you to Ben for sharing these images.)
The Long Game Orchard is currently in its second year of operation. The farm has planted four acres of fruit trees in a former hay field, and had plans to plant more trees and other perennial plants with a goal of expanding the orchard and eventually incorporating grazing animals.
However, with the recent cuts to federal programs and grants, like the Climate Smart Commodities Grant Program, which help farmers manage extreme weather events and adapt to climate change, Ben’s efforts to improve long-term sustainability of the farm and his ability to best steward the land have been thwarted.
Next was the Red Fire Farm in Montague and Granby. Pictured are Owner/Operator Ryan Voiland, his wife Sarah Voiland, and their child Wally. (Photo credits to Zoe Elkin.)
Red Fire Farm is a year-round operation, providing local, organic produce to the community, while focusing on farmland preservation and training new generations of farmers. Learn more about the Farm here: https://www.redfirefarm.com/.
Yet, the Farm’s ability to meet its goals are stymied. Red Fire Farm was promised a $125,000 grant through REAP (Rural Energy for America Program), a USDA grant program, to help them rebuild their farm infrastructure with an improved solar array after a fire destroyed their historic barn in 2024.
The current federal Administration has frozen REAP funds, leaving Red Fire Farm unable to complete that project.
On Day Three of Ag Week, we highlighted Brookfield Farm in Amherst. Pictured is Kerry Taylor, general manager at Brookfield Farm. (Photo credits to Brookfield Farm.)
Brookfield Farm was founded in 1986, with the goal of connecting people to agriculture, the land, and each other. Learn more about the Farm here: https://www.brookfieldfarm.org/
It’s a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that serves about 700 households with summer and winter farm shares. The Farm has worked with local USDA offices — especially the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS — on a number of farm improvements, including a new greenhouse, irrigation systems, and a well.
However, this bountiful relationship is now on hold as the current federal Administration has ended the lease of the state USDA headquarters in Amherst, fired USDA staff, and submitted plans for additional mass layoffs of qualified, knowledgeable federal workers.
The abrupt closure of the regional USDA office in Amherst affects farms across the Commonwealth and the northeast. It makes it more difficult for farms and farmers to access dwindling federal resources.
For the Fourth Day of Ag Week and the first day of spring, we spotlit Diemand Farm in Wendell.
Family run since 1936, Diemand Farm raises chickens for eggs and meat, turkeys, and grass-fed beef on 175 acres, in addition to selling prepared foods in its farm store and offering catering services. Check out the Farm here: https://thediemandfarm.com/.
For the past several years, Diemand Farm has been working towards adding solar panels on its chicken coops.
In 2024, the Farm was awarded a grant of $120,000 through REAP (Rural Energy for America Program), a USDA program that has since been frozen by the current federal Administration.
The panels would generate enough energy to cover about half of the farm’s electricity, which currently costs between $3,000 and $4,000 per month.
Nearly everyone across the Commonwealth experienced drastic hikes in energy costs recently. With slim margins, every dollar counts for farmers like Diemand Farm, and these cuts to essential programs hurt farmers across the Commonwealth.
Pictured are Tessa, Faith, Peter, and Annie Diemand. Photo credits to CISA.
As we rounded out Ag Week 2025, we wrapped up with Atlas Farm Store in South Deerfield.
Atlas Farm Store is one of hundreds of approved HIP (Healthy Incentives Program) vendors in Massachusetts – that means that when customers use SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, to purchase produce from the store, they get an instant rebate up to a monthly cap – previously of $40, $60, or $80, depending on household size – set by the state.
Learn more about the farm store here: https://www.atlasfarmstore.com/.
In December 2024, because of a budget shortfall, that monthly cap was cut to just $20 a month, regardless of household size. That cut has hit local families and local food businesses hard.
I have written about the importance of HIP in our communities, for farmers and consumers alike. I continue to push, like I have since December 2024, to reverse these cuts and fully fund HIP. To that end, I filed legislation with Representatives Mindy Domb and Representative Andy Vargas to codify the program into law so that cuts like this cannot happen again.
For more information on the legislation, click here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/SD829.
Pictured are vegetable displays from Atlas Farm Store. Photo credits to Kelley Hickey.
