Staffing halved at Knoxville community farm after AmeriCorps cuts

Yahoo

30-04-2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The number of staff at a community farm in Knoxville that produces more than 65,000 pounds of food every year has been cut in half after AmeriCorps was ordered by the federal government to terminate some of their grants, Beardsley Farm shared.
On Tuesday, Beardsley Farm shared that their staff of 10 had become a staff of 5 because the AmeriCorps grants that were cut included the funds that support CAC AmeriCorps in Knoxville.
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In Knox County, around 250 people work for or volunteer through AmeriCorps, which is locally run through the Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee. With federal cuts, 85% of the AmeriCorps workforce in East Tennessee was placed on leave in April.
Beardsley Farms explained that AmeriCorps has been an integral part of the community farm's history as it was one of the first and longest running CAC AmeriCorp's partners. Most of the farm's remaining staff are AmeriCorp's alums.
The impact of the reduction in the farm's staff is expected to reach past the staff and to the community members who interact with Beardsley Farm every day. Those community members include hundreds of gardeners throughout the support, those in need of grocery support, and students who learn from the garden.
'We are not going away, but we do need your support. We are fundraising for staff positions so that we can continue donating produce and plants, teaching free classes, managing school gardens, and putting on events such as Harvest Festival and Snow Day. Please consider a donation to Beardsley Farm so that programming isn't downsized, affecting our most vulnerable populations. Fresh food for all, ya'll. No matter what,' Beardsley Farm wrote on social media.
Beardsley Farm is accepting donations, but those looking to discuss ways to help can also email [e-mail].
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AmeriCorps was founded in 1993 and incorporated the Volunteers In Service To America program, which was founded in 1964 to help communities combat poverty, as well as the National Civilian Community Corps program, which was created in 1992 to help communities recover from natural disasters and other critical needs.
Over the last 30 years, AmeriCorps has been the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. In mid-April, however, the program became the largest target of the Trump administration's campaign to slash government spending, the Associated Press reported.
The move prompted around two dozen states to sue the Trump administration, an AP report from Tuesday said. A spokesperson with America's Service Commissions said its commissions in Wisconsin, Alabama, Wyoming, Oregon and Maine have reported that their entire portfolios for AmeriCorps grant funding have been cut. According to the AP, the AmeriCorps State and national program were budgeted to receive $557 million in congressionally approved funding this year.
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