What’s happening: The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CTDOAG) is losing $3.7 million in federal funding due to cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), part of the Trump-Musk administration’s broader budget reductions.
Why it matters: The funding, previously secured through two Biden-era programs—the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program and Local Food for Schools—helped food banks and schools buy fresh, local produce, providing a critical revenue stream for farmers and nutrition support for families.
- Feeding America estimates that 1 in 8 Connecticut residents, including 1 in 6 children, struggle with hunger.
- Connecticut Foodshare, a nonprofit, delivered 40 million meals last year, heavily relying on these programs.
What they’re saying: “Children will go hungry and our Connecticut farmers will lose money. These federal funds are an example of the government doing its job – supporting farmers and strengthening local food systems while closing hunger gaps and getting healthy, nutritious food to those in need,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “Chainsaw President Elon Musk’s dizzying and ill-advised funding cuts, coupled with King Trump’s tariff wars, are going to devastate farmers across our country and right here in Connecticut. I don’t see how these policies make America, or Connecticut, healthier.”
The big picture: Farmers are facing a double hit—federal budget cuts and ongoing trade instability:
- The U.S. agriculture industry relies on global trade, with American farmers importing 90% of their potash, a critical fertilizer, from Canada.
- Trump’s tariff wars created market uncertainty, and while some tariffs were reduced, farmers remain squeezed by unpredictable costs and tight margins.
By the numbers:
- Connecticut’s agriculture industry contributes between $3.3 and $4 billion to the state’s economy, per a 2022 UConn study.
- American farmers have a suicide rate three times the national average, according to the National Institutes of Health, due to financial stress and uncertainty.
What’s next: With no replacement funding in sight, food banks and schools will struggle to afford fresh, local produce, while farmers lose a guaranteed buyer.
“Farmers are the backbone of our nation and are already subject to so much volatility from weather fluctuations and crop pests and diseases, to changing market conditions and more, yet they remain adaptable, and they persevere,” said Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford.“The one thing that they should be able to rely on is support from their government. I’m heartbroken to see our farmers, the most critical link in our food systems, being left out in the cold like this.”
