Narragansett heritage crops in Rhode Island face uncertainty as USDA programmes are scaled back

Dawn and Cassius Spears are keeping Narragansett farming knowledge alive at Ashawaug Farm in southwest Rhode Island. The farm grows three heritage crops, white corn, succotash beans and crookneck squash. The Spears want wider sales beyond the farm stand, but growth is difficult. Like many small producers, the Spears have looked for federal help, yet several programmes have been reduced.

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In March 2025, under the Trump administration, the Agriculture Department ended two pandemic-era programmes. The agency said the schemes no longer matched its goals. Together, they had provided more than USD 1 billion for schools and food banks. The cuts also affected tribal efforts to buy and share culturally-significant foods. Tribes had used the support to reach local families.

USDA local food purchase assistance and tribal farmers

The Biden administration launched two initiatives during the pandemic for local buying. They were the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Programme LFPA and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Programme LFS. The programmes helped states and tribes purchase food from nearby farmers. For many growers, including tribal farmers, they offered steadier markets than short-term sales.

Tribal governments also received funding to buy food from local producers and provide it to tribal members. "This allowed tribes to get federal dollars directly to small-scale producers,\" said Carly Griffith Hotvedt, executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative and a member of Cherokee Nation. Some tribes used funds for bison meat, certain berries and wild rice in food boxes.

Hotvedt said the food boxes could offer low-income tribal members rare access to traditional foods. \"It wasnt just commodity foods in that box. It was highly local, traditionally relevant, culturally relevant foods that were included,\" Hotvedt said. The Spears farm supplied food to a tribal farm in nearby Connecticut. That work used LFPA funds after an agreement signed in August 2022.

Farm Bill debate and USDA local food purchase assistance

US Sen Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, and Sen Jim Justice, a West Virginia Republican, have proposed a new bill. They say it takes key elements from LFPA and LFS. The plan would create a permanent grant programme for state and tribal governments. It would support purchases from local and regional producers for hunger relief groups and schools.

Reed said the USDA cuts could make it harder for families to access food. Reed also warned that the loss could reduce access to nutritious, freshly grown produce. Reed wants the measure included in the Farm Bill. The House passed its version in April, and a Senate committee released a draft in late June.

The House version includes a bipartisan plan for a permanent programme based on LFPA. It would let states, through the USDA, set up cooperative agreements. These would link local farmers and producers with local food distribution groups. Both the House approach and the Reed-Justice proposal would reserve 10 per cent of programme funding for tribes.

Hannah Quigley, a policy specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said funding design will matter. Quigley said a new programme needs mandatory funding. That helps farmers plan, buy supplies and hire staff. Quigley added that the House version would require Congress to agree on funding each year. Reed said mandatory funding is needed.

Reed argued that optional support is weaker during tight budget periods. Reed said farms face strong economic pressure. \"We really want to punch through the existing obstacles for small farmers and Native American farmers,\" he said. The Spears said Indigenous producers should be prioritised when tribal entities buy food. They also want programmes open to Indigenous producers beyond tribal governments.

Ashawaug Farm, USDA local food purchase assistance, and Indigenous food

At the start of this year’s planting season, Dawn Spears worked under a high tunnel. Dawn Spears sorted tiny tomato plants before moving them outside. The 6-acre farm is named for the Narragansett name of the river through town. It began as a community garden and a food sovereignty project. A 9-year-old grandson, Giizhig, asked to help.

\"Only if you want to,\" Spears replied. \"Its always good to know how to do it, right?\" Dawn Spears said teaching children where food comes from matters. Dawn Spears also said culture includes gathering wild foods and preserving them. Dawn Spears is trying to protect land around the farm as development grows. Dawn Spears hopes to add native plants for foraging.

Federal funding can also support access to land, Dawn Spears said, alongside food growing. \"If you take a person away from the land that they come from, then its like theyre not whole,\" she said. \"We have to eat the food thats naturally from that space that we come from.\" The Spears continue work at Ashawaug Farm as lawmakers debate future funding rules.

With inputs from PTI