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We’re all absorbing a lot of news right now, and it’s not a time to add to the noise. We do, however, want to share how Cultivating Community’s work is impacted by the uncertainty and loss of federal funding and how we are approaching our work moving forward. We’re going to keep growing good food and building community.
State and Federal contracts were 44% of Cultivating Community’s 2025 budget. Most of those funds are still uncertain. Each of our programs and special projects are impacted, but the Community Farms (NASAP) are hit hardest. U.S. Department of Agriculture grants have made it possible to provide immigrant farmers with land access, shared infrastructure, training, and support to build their businesses and grow culturally familiar crops for the community. Last year alone, farmers sold more than $438,000 (125,000+ lbs!) of produce through Cultivating Community – providing fresh, local veggies at low or no cost, including $115,000 directly to food pantries through Mainers Feeding Mainers and SNAP and WIC match in partnership with Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets.
Our mission is not changing. We are committed to continuing to build community through food and providing support for immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking farmers, limited-resource kids, and neighbors to grow and share fresh produce. Our work is food security in action. This season’s seeds were delivered and we’ll begin planting this week. Thanks to the donors who contributed this winter, these seeds will grow into this year’s ~40,000 African seedlings and thousands of pounds of fresh, local food.
Please donate if you are able. Share resources and information. Grow food with us. We are doing everything we can to keep our programs stable, keep our two community farms open, keep our neighbors supported, and keep our participants safe. Thank you for being with us now and in whatever the future holds.
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