Connect with us

Massachusetts

Massachusetts farmers scrambling to sell crops after USDA funding cuts leave them without a buyer

Published

on

Massachusetts farmers scrambling to sell crops after USDA funding cuts leave them without a buyer


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 unfillable gap in fresh, local food.

Zalewski, a part owner of the co-op that boasts the largest urban greenhouse in the state, would usually sell cases of the deep green leafy lettuce to local schools and food hubs.

Advertisement

He’s quickly looking for buyers so he doesn’t end up losing money on wasted food. Zalewski said the business barely makes a profit, even with sales from the grants. Staff have been been meeting every week to brainstorm what to do next.

“I can’t sit here right now and tell you with confidence that we have a solution,” he said.

Since these cuts were announced in early March, farmers are considering worst-case scenarios including layoffs, loans, selling off assets and reduced hours for staff. Schools and food pantries plan to simply serve less fresh, local food to students and low-income residents.

“I feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath us.”

Harrison Bardwell, owner of Bardwell Farm in Hatfield

About 500 Massachusetts farmers have sold their products under these programs since 2022, with their local food going to 700 distribution sites, according to the state’s agricultural department.

Advertisement

The USDA now says the $18 million earmarked for Massachusetts were pandemic-era grants that “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.” An agency spokesperson said in an emailed statement that it’s not an “abrupt shift.”

But Harrison Bardwell, owner of Bardwell Farm in Hatfield, said the cuts were very abrupt.

“I feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath us and we have to start over on a portion of our sales,” he said.

Bardwell usually sells about $250,000 in produce to partners who, in turn, are funded by that grant money. That’s about 20 to 30% of his overall business. “It’s a large void if we can’t fill it,” Bardwell said.

Bardwell said he’s considering cutting back on products, finding new markets and trying to get into co-ops and grocery stores.

Advertisement

“We’re kind of in an unsettled moment of not knowing what to do next,” Bardwell said.

What this means for families and nonprofits

There are consequences on the buyers’ side, too. Like farmers, they’re struggling under the weight of the funding cuts — meaning those food organizations may shrink their staff, and households that indirectly rely on them might put less food — or less healthy food — on the table.

The Boston Area Gleaners spent more than $1 million in federal grant money with dozens of farms across the state, according to Dylan Frazier, director of operations and strategy. They spent more than $60,000 with Wellspring Harvest last year.

Now, the organization is facing layoffs and restructuring due to the cuts, and sourcing for food pantries and food banks will get tougher.

“It’s a lot of suffering,” he said.

Advertisement
The greenhouse’s irrigation system waters a row of lettuce.


Alexi Cohan


GBH News

The Salem Food Pantry got $500,000 in funding that will dry up in May. The money went straight to local farmers and covered 600,000 pounds of food, mostly eggs and milk, according to spokeswoman Kia Fernandes.

“We currently do not have a way to replace this funding and are anticipating a serious reduction in the amount of food we can provide,” Fernandes said in an emailed statement.

Advertisement

She said the pantry was planning to reapply for the grant next year, too. The Salem Food Pantry served 19,000 people in 2023 — nearly half of them seniors and children.

Schools can’t fill the gap either.

Littleton schools had spent their $10,000 in grant money to implement “Friday Try-Days” that encouraged students to try things like winter squash, spinach and mushrooms as well as self-serve produce stations that helped reduce their reliance on canned and frozen foods.

Coming into the 2025-2026 school year, the district was slated to receive even more grant funding — $25,000, according to the schools’ superintendent Kelly Clenchy.

The district will continue supporting local farmers with money from their general nutrition budget, but “it is realistic to expect that less food will be coming from our local family farmers,” Clenchy said in an email.

Advertisement

What comes next

While farmers fight to keep their businesses alive, elected officials are fighting, too.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is trying to fight the cuts with public pressure, legislation and potentially lawsuits.

McGovern told GBH News farmers are “holding on by their fingernails.” His district of Worcester has the most farms in the state.

“I’m doing everything I possibly can. I mean, I think this is outrageous. I think it’s immoral, quite frankly, what they’re doing,” McGovern said.

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle is urging the federal Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, to honor all outstanding contracts to farmers.

Advertisement

Randle described the programs as a “win-win-win” and a “gamechanger” for farmers since they began in 2022.

“It does have devastating impacts.” Randle said of the cuts. “So for one farm, it could really put them on the brink of going out of business because of those financial uncertainties.”

The official funding deadline for the two grant programs is May 6 — meaning that, for many farmers, their last purchases from this grant money may come next week.

Back in the greenhouse at Wellspring Harvest, Zalewski said he got a spot at the East Longmeadow farmers’ market. He’s considering selling a basil lemonade. He admits a couple hundred bucks of lemonade won’t make up for the thousands in lost grant sales, but it’s a start.

“It makes you feel helpless, right? Because it’s like: You can put your best foot forward … just to be completely curtailed by forces completely out of your control,” Zalewski said.

Advertisement





Source link

Massachusetts

French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston

Published

on

French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston


BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.

LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.

The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.

LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.

Advertisement

The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.

Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.

See Also:





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer

Published

on

Massachusetts high school under investigation after teachers diagnosed with breast cancer


A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.

The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.

Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.

“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”

Advertisement

“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”

The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.

Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”

“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”

Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.

Advertisement

The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”

“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”

They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.

“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer

Published

on

Gov. Healey backs bill to keep Mass. bars open until 3 a.m. this summer


Local News

The legislation would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff)

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.

Advertisement

In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.

“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.

The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.

“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”

The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.

Advertisement

“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.

She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”


  • Rhode Island bill proposes 24-hour bar hours during World Cup

In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.

Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.

Advertisement
Profile image for Annie Jonas

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

⚽ Get the latest World Cup news

Receive updates on the 2026 FIFA World Cup





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending