This multimedia project documents the crop season of a strawberry farmer in West Virginia who is struggling to make ends meet after being ghosted by the federal government.
Jennifer Gilkerson is one of 140 farmers across the country who were selected to be part of the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Grant Program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]. Now, after investing around $40,000 of her own money, and with two H-2A visa workers from El Salvador living with her, Gilkerson is unable to get in contact with anyone at USDA.
Reporting follows the arrival of migrant workers from El Salvador to the small farm in West Virginia and what the impact of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] have had on family farms.
This project highlights the challenges faced by a farmer who is living the fallout from the Trump administration's cuts.
