The squeeze is coming from every direction, and local farms need your support now.

Farm diesel prices rose 46% between February and April 2026. The steepest month-to-month increase on record.
Fertilizer costs have spiked sharply.
Agricultural land values have hit record highs, making it harder than ever for new farmers to get started and for existing ones to hold on.
Skilled farm labor is increasingly difficult to find and wages continue to rise. Labor is now the second-largest cost category in American farming.
As food prices rise, shoppers are cutting back on purchases of fresh foods. 82% of consumers changed their grocery shopping habits in 2025 due to economic pressure.

Then there's health insurance. When enhanced ACA subsidies expired at the end of 2025, many farm families saw their premiums double or quadruple overnight. Some are going uninsured. Others are weighing whether farming is still financially viable. Farming is already one of the most physically dangerous professions in the country, with work-related deaths seven times the national average.

Our local farms are resilient — but resilience has limits. Shopping local, joining a CSA, or buying directly from a farmer is one of the most meaningful ways to keep Kitsap's agricultural community alive. And right now, that support matters more than ever.

We know that higher costs are touching everyone, and that for some these choices simply aren't possible. But for those who are able, even occasionally, choosing to purchase locally grown food is a small act with a real impact on our local farm families.

Here's how you can help keep local farms thriving: