Letter from Farmer Chris

March 30, 2025

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to share that Siena Farms is at an inflection point and needs help restructuring some challenging debt that our farm operations alone can't sustain. As difficult as it is for my pride to reach out in this way, I know that I need to ask for some extra support right now to keep this beautiful farm going and growing. If you’re in a position to help, please visit the Resiliency Fund we’ve set up on our website – and THANK YOU.

The last half decade has brought wonderful growth to Siena Farms, but also some unexpected challenges. The quadrupling of our CSA memberships during the pandemic in 2020, and the public and private outpouring of support for regional food systems which followed, led to a period of long-awaited infrastructure growth here on the farm. Nine grant-funded greenhouses, two irrigation wells, and myriad other equipment upgrades later, we’re now better positioned than ever before to continue efficiently growing food amidst a changing climate.

But I also made some mistakes along the way, which are now catching up with me. I underestimated many ancillary costs of the greenhouse project, and I took on a substantial amount of short-term, high-interest debt in order to complete construction. This debt load has been compounded by four consecutive years of heavy crop losses due to record climate events from 2021 through 2024 – alternating years of floods and droughts.

Our retail sales have been on a positive trajectory over the last few years, due to the Massachusetts-funded food security program called HIP (Healthy Incentives Program). HIP now accounts for over 90% of our daily retail sales, year-round, and has brought a remarkable cultural diversity to the customer demographics of our two farmstores in Boston. However, with retail sales comprising about half of Siena Farms’ revenue (CSA being the other half), we were particularly vulnerable this winter when the state funding for HIP benefits was suddenly cut in half starting on December 1 – effectively causing an unexpected 25% reduction in the farm’s total daily and monthly income. There's an active state-wide campaign underway to return HIP to full funding, but we’ve had to think outside the box as we continue navigating this contraction.

I knew when I first started this farm project 27 years ago, fresh out of college in the summer of ‘98, that I was choosing a career, and a business model, with a below average chance of success. But I knew that the non-financial rewards, for myself personally, and for a community that could be fed by this farm, were worth that risk. I still feel that today, perhaps more acutely than ever, as I take stock of where I've been, and where I'm headed, as I approach my 50th(!) birthday in a few short weeks.

For long-term financial viability and climate resilience to be the next chapter of Siena Farms, I need to: A) quickly knock down a chunk of short-term business debt; B) continue working with my staff on operational changes to scale down the risks and costs of our outdoor crop production, while stabilizing revenue; and C) continue working with my advisors on broader restructuring strategies. If you're able to support to this effort, please click here to see a menu of donation tiers we’ve set up for our Resiliency Fund. Your contribution will go directly toward paying down the farm's short-term debt. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please feel free to email me directly.

I recognize this appeal comes at a time of sizable uncertainty in our national politics and economy – so I completely understand if you aren’t able to provide this extra support right now. All of your contributions over the years – whether as CSA members, farmstore customers, farm dinner guests, or Carrot Pull volunteers! – are just as meaningful, important, and appreciated. Thank you for reading this letter, and thank you for all of the love, goodwill, and truly heartfelt support you've shown me and Siena Farms over these many years.

Best,
Farmer Chris

Chris Kurth
Owner, Siena Farms, LLC