Here's how you can help us...
I started drafting this newsletter in early January, sitting in my sunny living room on a snowy day.
Since then things have changed rapidly and a lot!
Every morning for the past three weeks I wake up and discover a new contract has been breached, "paused" or cancelled. Emerging federal agricultural policy is a fright, and chaos seems to be the new "normal".
How does that affect us, and what does it have to do with bees?
Remember our newsletter from October of 2024? TLDR: They Keep Bees lost an entire mating yard in Hurricane Helene, along with infrastructure at two bee yards, and equipment & bees in over 60 bee hives.
Now, due to federal funding freezes that have not been overturned despite judicial action we have $45,000 in frozen grant & contract income. You can watch Ang explain this in greater detail on PBS News Hour, or read more about it on NBC news.
These cuts directly impact our honey bee operation's recovery from Hurricane Helene, our ability to install irrigation & fencing systems in our orchard of 200 trees and shrubs, and further establishment and care for of tree crops for bee forage, human food production and climate resilience. In addition, because we work with LGBTQ+, BIPOC & women beekeepers our current collaborative grant submissions are being flagged as "DEI projects". Which means an additional $115,000 in funding is in jeopardy because of who we are, what we do and who our collaborators are.
None of that accounts for the money we've already invested in our business, our relationships and our two year old orchard project. When we lose grant income we're not just losing the pending income, we are also losing the hours invested in these projects. All of our labor including on farm labor but also research, writing, establishing partnerships, planning, professional development and materials acquisition to deliver on these projects could be lost.
Why am I telling you this?
As an innovative farm operating in the environmental sector committed to both education and research, we are no stranger to risk, adaptation or contingency plans. However, the recent actions being taken by the presidential administration are not only unlawful, they also present a clear danger to small farm success moving forward.
Environmental organizations and small farms like ours are the mycelium of climate resilient communities and grow regional capacity for adapting to change. Now we need your support to continue to perform this essential work for our local and regional community benefit. We need you now more than ever.
Want to help? Our goal is to raise $15,000.
UPDATE: We’ve raised $5,500 so far from donations and honey sales, we’re 1/3 of the way there.
When you make a donation to our resilience fund we will use funds to recover from our losses and seek additional funding sources so we can keep doing this important work. All donations are tax deductible.
Want to help in other ways? You can!
Want to support in other ways? You can!
Call your state and federal representatives and demand they take action against this federal funding freeze.
Email or call Secretary Rollins of the USDA and/or email the DOGE Caucus using our form letter here.
Contact the MA state climate and environmental justice departments, and state agricultural representatives to ask how they plan to step up and support small farms in the wake of this unconstitutional action.
Buy our honey on pre-order in the shop here. Orders will ship in April.
Reach out via email if you have ideas for building out our resilience fund.
Need bees or know someone who does? Package pre-orders are live here.
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