For Immediate Release: March 3rd, 2025


Stand With NOFA/Mass: Protecting Equity & Organic Farming

Dear Friends,

Organic farming is not just about growing food—it is about nurturing communities, protecting our environment, and ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has access to healthy, sustainable food. At NOFA/Mass, we have dedicated ourselves to this mission by working with farmers, gardeners, families, and landscape professionals to build a just and resilient food system. But now, that work is at risk.   

The Trump administration’s willingness to take a wrecking ball to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) threatens over $350,000 in critical NOFA/Mass funding—funding that helps beginning farmers get started, supports BIPOC growers, and increases access to fresh, organic food in historically excluded communities.               

Behind the scenes, we have had strategic conversations about changing DEI language in our grant contracts and removing our Racial Equity Statement from our website. If funds are canceled, there are questions about our ability to employ our staff.  

DEI is not just a checkbox for us—it is at the heart of everything we do. It shapes how we build connections, share knowledge, and create opportunities for those left out. Without it, our ability to serve, educate, and uplift is compromised. But if there is one thing we know, WE ARE RESILIENT. No matter the obstacles, we are committed to healing our soil and fostering organic land stewardship—because it is the right thing to do. We are fighting for farmers, our communities, and the future of organic agriculture. And we need you with us.      

Since 2016, NOFA/Mass has worked tirelessly to empower communities, foster future leaders, and promote sustainable farming practices, especially in areas historically lacking the resources and opportunities needed for growth. 

What Your Support Makes Possible:

We believe thriving, healthy communities cannot exist without diversity, equity, and inclusion—and we remain dedicated to educating, serving, and standing in solidarity with every community member.

But we need your help. As a nonprofit that relies on grants and community support, we depend on contributions to continue our work. Your support—whether through donations, membership, buying merchandise, sponsoring our monthly newsletters, or attending events—helps us keep NOFA/Mass programs alive and growing. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference.

Now, more than ever, we need you. Donate today and be a part of the change we are cultivating! Together, we can ensure a just, sustainable, resilient farming community spanning generations.  

With gratitude,

NOFA/Mass Team