According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), “hundreds of thousands of lawful, signed, active contracts and grants—supporting critical conservation payments, farmer technical assistance, sustainable agriculture research, market infrastructure, and so much more, and representing billions of dollars in federal funding—are frozen, which threatens farms, jobs, and livelihoods in communities nationwide.” Kristen Tool, co-founder of Heart & Soil Collective in Lanesborough, gives a local face to the nationwide reality. “It’s a weird time to be both a nonprofit and a farm,” she says. “Our two-year federal grant ran out in December, and we’re watching all of the other nonprofits lose theirs as well.”
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has moved to cancel or freeze trillions in federal funding, including billions in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In light of recent changes in federal funding, many farms across the Berkshires are struggling to continue to meet the needs of the community and looking for ways to ensure future sustainability—through local support.
In response to this challenge, Heart & Soil Collective has launched the “Locally Grown to Local Homes” campaign—an urgent effort to continue to “address local food access across Berkshire County by paying small farms, getting fresh food to local homes for free, and empowering communities to connect with the land.”
Local farms are facing new or increased challenges, including increasing expenses for transportation, equipment, and packaging; uncertain federal funding for farms and nonprofits; and ongoing problems tied to labor shortages and climate change. At the same time, local community members are dealing with their own fears about the economic forecast. People are hesitant to spend money—or make donations, even to the causes they support.
Single seniors, who make up nearly 14 percent of our county’s population, are also facing new increased uncertainty and hardships, along with over 50 families with children receiving care through Pediatric Palliative Care Hospice of the Berkshires. When these seniors and families are unable to source fresh, local foods, they lose not only delicious meals but also healthy nutrition. And the farmers lose opportunities to sell their goods and sustain their way of life.
Since 2020, Heart & Soil’s Community Produce and Soup Programs have greatly expanded. They now reach a total of 219 homes and 416 individuals; pay their Partner Farms $45,500; cook and deliver 600 gallons of soup; and distribute 3,529 bags of free, fresh, locally grown produce. “USDA funding allowed us to expand this work even more in 2023 and 2024, but those grant funds have ended, and future federal funding is up in the air,” Tool warns, adding, “Now, it’s up to our community.”
Immediately after the election, Tool began holding monthly volunteer days and writing letters appealing to area businesses for support. “I needed to feel productive and connected,” she says. “But the reality is that Heart & Soil is still very small. We can’t meet the needs when SNAP and other program funds are cut.” At this point, she is grateful that the state of Massachusetts is still honoring its contracts with farmers but acknowledges that next year, if the state funding is cut, that may be harder.
So, she and the local farmers in their cooperative are doing what they can—planting more fruit trees, growing more produce, planting more community gardens—all a coordinated effort to grow more food locally. “We’re part of a cohort working with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires on diversifying fundraising. We’re in a unique position as a nonprofit where we can not only appeal for funding but also offer ways for people in the community to provide hands-on help.”
Here are just a few of the creative opportunities they have outlined as part of their campaign:
Here is where your campaign funds will go:
- 70 percent goes to paying partner farms for fresh produce they grow locally;
- 15 percent pays staff to deliver produce and cook big batches of soup and covers rental fees for commercial kitchen use;
- 10 percent creates jobs through two paid summer internships with Heart & Soil Collective (interns pack and deliver produce, maintain community gardens, and help with farm tours);
- Five percent covers expenses for delivery bags, soup cartons, and labels so produce and soup arrive fresh to local homes.
Note: 100 percent of the funds raised go to providing free, fresh food to seniors and families in your community!
“I feel hopeless, yet hopeful,” Tool admits. The road is uncertain, but because the journey is local, she is putting her trust in community. Click here to learn more about ways you can help—and the fun donor rewards you will enjoy.
Read more about Heart & Soil Collective here.
