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To be eligible to participate in the Legal Food Hub, participants must satisfy the following requirements:
1. You must be a Farmer, a Food Business, or a Farm or Food Organization, as defined below, located and operating in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, or Vermont.
- a. Farmer: An individual, a group of individuals, or an enterprise that predominantly grows or raises food for sale (includes aquaculture, as well as herbalists and flower farmers who provide edible food products sourced in New England); OR
- b. Food Business: An individual, group of individuals, or an enterprise that processes, distributes, aggregates, stores, or markets food or value-added food products for human consumption, including caterers and food trucks, and sources at least three food items or ingredients raised or grown in New England; OR
- c. Farm or Food Organization: a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to support Farmers or Food Businesses in New England (such as a trade association in support of Farmers or a nonprofit food hub), OR a community group or association whose primary mission is to address social justice issues related to the food system (such as a farmers’ market, a grocery co-op, or a community garden organization).
*Restaurants and restaurant employees do not satisfy the Food Business definition.
2. Farmers and Food Businesses’ must meet the following criteria:
- a. Revenue from the Farm or Food Business must be a source of the Farmer’s or Food Business owner’s livelihood; AND
- b. The Farmer’s or the Food Business’ net annual income (including your owner’s draw) must not exceed $40,000.
- For Farmers, to determine net annual income, see line 34 of Schedule F (Form 1040) tax return.
- For Food Businesses, to determine net annual income, refer to the following: sole proprietorships or LLCs taxed as such, see line 31 on Schedule C (Form 1040); partnerships or LLCs taxed as such, see line 22 on Form 1065; C Corporations, see line 30 on Form 1120; S Corporations, see line 21 on Form 1120S; AND
- c. The Farmer’s or the Food Business’ annual household income must not exceed 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Unearned income must be included in this calculation, even if the income is restricted (such as in a restricted trust fund). To determine your annual household income, see Line 9 on your personal income tax return (Form 1040). The current Federal Poverty Level Guidelines are available below or click here to read in PDF form. Look for your household size and the “400% FPL” column. For businesses with multiple owners, the business can qualify if all the owners meet the income requirement separately, or together
- The net income and household income caps do not apply to Farm or Food Organizations.
2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines
| Family Size | 400% Federal Poverty Level |
|---|---|
| 1 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $177,440 |
| 7 | $200,160 |
| 8 | $222,880 |
To qualify for the Legal Food Hub, your family’s income cannot exceed the amount listed in the right-hand column, when matched with your family size in the left-hand column.
*See the Federal Poverty Guidelines for more information.
3. For individual Farmers and individuals working at a Food Business, the legal services which you are requesting must principally relate directly to your activities as a Farmer, Food Business, or Farm or Food Organization.
These criteria were updated on June 17, 2026. They are designed to capture lower-income Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs, and those farms and businesses operating on a small- to medium-scale. We welcome feedback on these eligibility requirements.
These eligibility criteria will guide CLF’s decision-making; however, CLF reserves the right to make case-by-case decisions, including declining to place cases.