A group of Maine farmers showed up at the State House on Wednesday to protest federal USDA cuts.
Farmers say they’re facing an uncertain future with cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a looming trade war with nations that buy Maine farm products and sell products to Maine farmers.
According to the Portland Press Herald, the group is demanding that the federal government honor $12 million in climate-related agriculture contracts and reinstate a local food program for schools and food pantries.
They’re also calling for one out of every five USDA staffers in Maine who were laid off to get their jobs back.