Newcastle farmer Brady Hatch recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C. where she advocated on behalf of sustainable agriculture programs. While there, Hatch, 30, met with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and an assistant for U.S. Senator Susan Collins. The trip was a proactive salvo into the fray of the national budget battle on behalf of small farmers.
“These are USDA programs that are facing cuts,” said Hatch, co-owner of Morning Dew Farm. “They support smaller farms and sustainable agriculture.”
Hatch said the timing is particularly significant as the national 2012 farm bill is on the horizon and any cuts done now will be reflected on the “baseline” for the bill.
“What is being suggested is a $3 billion dollar cut for the USDA,” said Hatch. “If you leave out food stamps, the USDA budget is around $25 billion. It’s pretty significant.”
Hatch traveled to Washington along with Nobleboro farmer, and former state Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Spears, to express concern about cuts to programs for small-scale farms. According to Hatch, there are currently 8100 farms in Maine, of which 90 percent are considered small
“The commodity programs are not generally helping the farms of Maine which is why these smaller programs are essential,” she said.
Hatch identified one program in particular, entitled ATRA or Appropriate Technology to Rural Areas, as one vital benefit in jeopardy. In one budget resolution two weeks ago, the funding was completely cut.
“It was a $2.8 million dollar cut which in the context is not huge,” said Hatch. “However it’s a valuable information resource that will be lost.”
The net result, if eliminated, would be restricted access to information, she said.
“When Morning Dew was started seven years ago, we did not come from a background in farming,” said Hatch. “Because of this, access to information was crucial.”
Hatch characterized the meetings with both Pingree and Collins as extremely positive. The organic food movement, once the domain of health food stores, has become mainstream in recent years as chain supermarkets such as Hannaford add USDA organic selections. It’s a movement, said Hatch, which has legs despite the down economy.
“We’re seeing our numbers increase as people realize the importance of local and organic food,” she said. “This is why the programs are so important to a community as a whole.”
