By Joshua A. Bickel And Jennifer Mcdermott HOPKINTON, R.I. (AP) — At Ashawaug Farm in southwest Rhode Island, Dawn and Cassius Spears preserve their Indigenous knowledge of agriculture through the cultivation and keeping of three Narragansett heritage crops: white corn, succotash beans and crookneck squash. They would like to expand their farm’s reach beyond their farm stand, but it’s challenging. Like many small food producers, the Spears have sought financial assistance through federal programs. Some have been cut or significantly scaled back under the Trump Administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that helped tribal farmers. Tribes relied on these programs to grow and distribute culturally-significant foods locally. “When we go into these federal programs, we’re hoping that they’ll last long enough,” Cassius Spears said. “They usually start out with…
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