A federal program created during the pandemic to supply public schools with local produce was abruptly ended in March, leaving Washington state farmers without a critical source of income. Now, farmers are making hard choices about what to grow and how many workers to hire.
Summer might be winding down, but the berries are still plentiful at Sidhu Farms in Puyallup. On a recent visit to the farm, co-owner Kamal Sidhu plucked a few plump blackberries from one of the bushes, their best seller.
“It’s called Triple Crown blackberry,” Sidhu said. “It’s one of the sweetest.”…