By Dakota Antelman — [email protected]
Barrett’s Mill Farm co-owner Lise Holdorf fears recent cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture will hamper the business she runs on a beloved patch of Concord farmland.
She’s not alone and is one of many farmers asking existential questions as President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk, ax federal funding.
“It’s hard to make any sort of capital investments in your business if you’re not really sure you’re going to be able to stay in business,” Holdorf told The Concord Bridge.
The cuts this month claimed two programs that helped schools, food banks, and other organizations buy from local growers. The USDA also froze sustainability payments, among other things.
Tariffs and inflation are causing problems, too.
Usha Thakrar, the executive director of the Acton-based Boston Food Hub, said farms will go out of business.
Those that survive will have to navigate a challenging climate without expected federal aid.
Local impacts
The USDA slashed funding for its Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs on March 7, according to multiple reports.
The Boston Food Hub previously received money through both programs and spent more than $15,000 LFPA dollars at Barrett’s Mill in 2024, buying 20 shares in the farm’s community-supported agriculture program. The Food Hub sent Barrett’s Mill produce to various food banks and other organizations.
CSAs are subscription systems where buyers pay for bulk bags of produce during the growing season. Without the LFPA spending, Holdorf said Barrett’s Mill would have fallen roughly 40 shares short of its annual goal of 200 shares.
“[The Food Hub] buying CSA shares from us just saved us last season,” Holdorf said.
The farm also got funding for various sustainability practices, such as “cover cropping,” from the USDA’s Climate Smart initiative, which the government paused in February.
The USDA press office did not immediately answer questions about whether it will restart the program. Holdorf said she does not expect more cash in 2025.
Tariff impacts
The White House has cut programs government-wide in a purported effort to improve efficiency.
Trump has simultaneously threatened or enacted taxes on a wide swath of imported goods, including potash fertilizer from Canada, which is used at Barrett’s Mill Farm.
Holdorf said Barrett’s Mill bought its 2025 supply ahead of time. Because Canada provides much of the world’s potash, however, she said she’s concerned for future years. Holdorf is also worried about other supply costs.
As costs spike, Holdorf said, customers are tightening their belts.
She said farms across the region were already facing slumping sales before the recent tumult. New developments, Holdorf said, are “a little bit scary.”
State help?
Though Concord schools received some Local Food for Schools funding beginning in 2023, spokesperson Thomas Lucey said the expected allocations from the next round were “very small amounts.” He said the schools don’t expect impacts from the cut.
Thakrar said the same can’t be said for local farms. She hopes state officials will step in, but, she said, “they have limited resources.”
State Department of Agricultural Resources commissioner Ashley Randle said the LFS and LFPA cuts are “devastating” and came with little justification beyond an assertion that programs “no longer effectuate” the USDA’s priorities.
As questions swirl, she said Massachusetts officials will “continue to find ways to support farmers in our state and be able to be responsive to the challenges that they’re facing.”
Historic land
Holdorf works across the street from the historic James Barrett House.
In an area that has been farmland for generations, she said she wants to keep growing vegetables for the community.
In a separate interview, Randle said farms are “part of the fabric of Massachusetts and our history.” She said they’re also economic engines in the state.
“So, [USDA cuts] impact us all,” she said.
