Specialty farmers across the Northeast are calling for more reliable federal assistance programs as climate change brings more frequent flooding, hailstorms and heat waves.

Many smaller producers lack federal crop insurance, and extreme weather has caused significant financial losses in recent years.

Ang Roell, co-operator and owner of They Keep Bees in Montague, Massachusetts, said unpredictable weather has more farmers questioning whether they can turn a profit.

“If we can't make our numbers work because we keep getting hit, how are we going to reliably produce food for people in this country?” Roell said.

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Roell said she has lost hives and infrastructure to extreme weather. She said the reshuffling of departments at the USDA has made some aid programs difficult to access, while others are too slow to deploy.

Farmers in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont are still waiting for disaster aid stemming from floods in 2023.

Agriculture-based nonprofits say Massachusetts and Vermont have been more responsive to farmers’ needs than some other states. But they say producers who support regional food supplies should not face inconsistent funding while struggling to get by.

Hank Tremblay, policy and advocacy manager with the nonprofit Farm Aid, said farmers are not asking for a handout. They need help recovering from events outside their control.

“Those folks are members of our communities, really important contributors to our food systems, and are currently really on the forefront of these climate change disasters and need our support,” Tremblay said.

Climate-related losses affect more than farmers. They can disrupt supply chains, local economies and the mental health of laborers.

Tremblay said more farmers are working to diversify their operations and build resiliency into their infrastructure. They said greater investments in climate mitigation are needed to help preserve Northeast farmland, keep businesses open and keep local communities fed.