ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Frustration is growing among farm owners in Orchard Park after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) terminated a $750,000 grant intended to support training for immigrant and refugee farmers.
The Providence Farm Collective, which produces over 100,000 pounds of produce annually and provides food access to more than 14,000 Western New Yorkers, received the surprising news via email last month. The USDA's termination notice specified that the grant funding was disallowed due to its alignment with initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
"I was just heartbroken," Hamadi Ali, the deputy farm director at Providence, said.
The email's contents took him by surprise, given the collective's long-standing mission to support diverse communities.
Kristen Heltman-Weiss, the group’s executive director, urged refugees and immigrants working at the farm to remain resilient in light of this setback.
"At the bottom of the email, Kristin's message was telling everybody in the communities and the organization that we are resilient," Ali recalled. "We own this land. Yes, this is scary, but we will weather this."
The USDA's termination letter stated that the grant funding promoted or participated in DEI initiatives that allegedly discriminated unlawfully on various protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, violating federal civil rights laws.
In response to the funding loss, Heltman-Weiss and Ali are actively seeking alternative funding sources and plan to appeal the USDA's decision.
"We will be filing an appeal with the USDA and see where that takes us," Heltman-Weiss said. "We've reached out for support to elected officials, and perhaps there will be an intervention that we don't have to go that far."
As the organization navigates this challenge, Heltman-Weiss emphasized the importance of accessible, fresh, and healthy food for all communities.
"All of us deserve access to fresh, healthy food," she stated.
