In the face of increasing challenges, we have the choice to stand together and support immigrant and BIPOC farmers who are systemically excluded from resources and access to food and land.
Help us reach our goal! So far we have received 44 donations totaling $14,400. Thank you!
In March 2025, the federal government announced the termination of Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA), a program that supported historically underserved farmers by distributing thousands of pounds of produce to low-income communities and schools.
For New Roots Cooperative, Cultivating Community, and Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms, LFPA cuts mean:
- We lost $225,500 that helped more than 50 immigrant and refugee farmers build livelihoods and food sovereignty
- Over 140,000 lbs of local, fresh vegetables won’t be delivered directly to low-income neighbors
- Thousands of new immigrant families who benefited from LFPA won’t have access to culturally familiar crops, like amaranth greens, flint corn, and moroho.
Maine has the highest hunger rate in New England at 13%, but for immigrants of color, the rate of hunger is over 50%. Without essential programs like LFPA, more people will be hungry and our farms may not make it through the season. As benefits for low-income families are threatened and farmers begin planting the upcoming season, the loss of this program will hurt thousands of Mainers who received our produce.
Together we’re seeking donations so that our farms will make it through the growing season, continuing to provide vital food access to impacted communities and paying immigrant farmers fair wages for their produce.
Header photo by Greta Rybus
