BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 13, 2026
Federal cuts to food benefit program funding throughout 2025 are rippling out into Maine’s agriculture industry. Programs providing for purchases directly from Maine farmers to supply food access programs had paid growers on a steady upward trend between 2022 and 2024, from more than $2.75 million to more than $3.5 million. That appeared to provide Maine farms a promising option for additional revenue streams, as many operations struggle to break even and look to diversify. But last year, the state saw “pretty significant decreases” in funding for some of those programs as federal priorities changed.