Since January, the Trump Administration has frozen vast swathes of federal spending under a series of Executive Orders, including at the United States Department of Agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of lawful, signed, active contracts and grants – supporting critical conservation payments, farmer technical assistance, sustainable agriculture research, market infrastructure, and so much more, and representing billions of dollars in federal funding – are frozen, which threatens farms, jobs, and livelihoods in communities nationwide.
Federal courts have delivered ruling after ruling that the funding freeze must be lifted – but to date, the Administration has yet to act to unfreeze funding and with every passing week, the situation worsens: farmers and organizations are facing layoffs, work stoppages, and rising debt due to the federal government’s failure to honor its legally binding financial commitments.
Farmers, ranchers, and advocates are speaking out. In February, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) members hit Capitol Hill in force, holding nearly 150 meetings with lawmakers, emphasizing the urgent need to release owed payments. Farmers and advocates shared personal stories about how they have been left in limbo, unsure how to plan for the upcoming season or cover expenses. These stories deserve to be heard in this moment. Our coalition has been working tirelessly to elevate the voices of people directly affected, connecting policy issues to real-world consequences. Below is a sampling of recent media coverage.
Farmers, Advocates, and NSAC Speak Out
NBC News:
“Ang Roell, a farmer and beekeeper in Massachusetts, had planned to begin installing deer-proof fencing, mulch and an irrigation system for a recently planted orchard — an initiative supported by more than $30,000 in federal grants that are now on hold.
Without that money, Roell worries that when the chestnut trees and elderberry bushes begin to sprout leaves in just a few weeks, there will be nothing to stop deer from chewing up the baby leaves. And Roell said the farm will struggle to keep the plants regularly watered and weeded without the infrastructure it had been counting on.
“We risk losing the plants because we can’t keep up with the watering schedule,” Roell said. “The delay of time might not seem like a big deal for someone who is not a farmer. But it actually is.””
Des Moines Register: USDA lifts Trump freeze on some funding owed to farmers, vast majority remains on hold
“About 1,000 Iowa and Midwest farmers said this month they’re owed $11 million for conservation work they completed last year. The bulk of the money — $9.6 million — is owed to Iowa farmers, the Iowa Soybean Association said.
The Trump administration’s actions, part of a broad government review now underway, also have left in doubt another $86 million promised Iowa and Midwest farmers under a five-year “climate smart” agriculture initiative approved during the Biden administration. The soybean association said Friday it’s not learned if money in the programs it’s administrating are included.
Practical Farmers of Iowa said Friday the group is hopeful USDA will pay farmers for planting cover crops and other conservation work they’ve completed. But it’s still unclear when the federal government will pay the group for its work, a commitment that’s supposed to reach about $4.4 million this year.
Meanwhile, the Conservation Districts of Iowa, a nonprofit that provides farmers with technical expertise on conservation efforts statewide, has laid off 38 employees because of the spending freeze.”
Arkansas Democrat Gazette: A deal is a deal. Or at least it used to be
“Dan Spatz, owner of Conway-based Healthy Flavors Farm, said, “If the current contracts that have been signed on EQIP are in question, then I’ve already put deposits down on fulfilling my side of the contract and, yes, I potentially could be impacted.”
The contract he mentions was signed in May, and he has until December 2027 to complete construction on his project. It stands to reason that any delay could result in an inability to pay the bank, so to speak. Just because the government stopped paying doesn’t mean the banks stopped collecting.
“We used to say, ‘the full faith and credit of the U.S. government’ and when you sign a contract with someone in a country of laws, you expect that contract to be honored, especially if it’s by your government; that’s the disturbing thing here,” Mr. Spatz said.”
Civil Eats: Exclusive: DOGE Cancels Contract That Enables Farmer Payments, Despite $0 Savings
“DOGE’s own accounting shows that because the contractor had already been paid in full, canceling the contract resulted in $0 in taxpayer savings.
Smith-Brubaker reached out to House Agriculture Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) today to share her concerns. “How will we look in the eyes of dairy farmers, providing the whole milk for which you’ve advocated, and tell them that, to save the government $0, we have to cancel work that would have brought them more stability and more business?” she asked.”
The Alleghany Front: Pennsylvania farm group faces layoffs amid federal funding freeze
“Smith-Brubaker said Pasa put its reputation on the line, convincing farmers to trust the federal government, and now that the program funds are frozen, it looks like that was a mistake.
“The fact is USDA entered into these agreements and farmers have planned around it financially,” she said. “You can imagine for any small business if you’ve budgeted for your cost to be covered on something and then mid-year, ‘Oh, you’re not going to get reimbursed.’ That has a big impact on your business.”
It’s been more than a month since the federal government has paid Pasa, Smith-Brubaker said. If USDA doesn’t restart funding in the next several days, her organization will need to lay off more than 70% of its staff; that’s at least 60 people losing their jobs.”
Additional Coverage
Civil Eats:
Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: Feb. 21, 2025: Sen. Tina Smith on federal aid freeze, USDA layoffs
Daily Yonder: ‘This Business Just Wouldn’t Exist’ – Farmer Says Federal Program Was Critical to Success
Hagstrom Report:
Grist: One senator’s lonely quest to make the farm bill more sustainable
WSKG NY: New York farmers continue to wait on frozen USDA funds
Newsmax: US Farmers in Dire Straits From Trump Spending Freeze
KTTN: Federal funding freeze leaves Missouri farmers struggling for aid
Public News Service/Kiowa County Press: Frozen funds hurting farmers in MO, nation
Iowa Public Radio: Trump’s freeze on federal funds leaves some farmers waiting in the cold
Farm Progress: Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA
San Antonio Express News: Will Republicans Control of Congress Lead to Updated Ag Laws? Texas farmers hope so.
The Preamble: The Government Promised to Pay — Then it Didn’t
TriState Livestock News: Frozen Funding, Stalled Programs, Farm Bill Impacts: Farmers, Ranchers, and Advocates Elevate Urgent Priorities on Capitol Hill
Lancaster Farming: Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Executive Director Opposes Federal Grant Freeze
Pittsburg Post-Gazette: Pa. farmers feel funding pinch as federal freezes trigger labor and infrastructure instability
PBS: Farmers are feeling the weight of Trump policies
WPSU: Centre County residents protest against Trump administration and Elon Musk
NBC News: Farmers hit by a federal funding freeze scramble to respond ahead of spring thaw
WSKG NY: New York farmers continue to wait on frozen USDA funds
Providence Journal: Make good on the contract’: How Trump’s spending freeze has left RI farmers in a lurch
Farms.com: CalCAN Joins Farming Organizations from Around the Country in D.C. for NSAC’s 2025 Winter Meeting
The New Lede: USDA’s climate webpage purge breaks laws and hurts farmers, lawsuit alleges
The New York Times: Farmers Sue Over Deletion of Climate Data From Government Websites
Reuters: USDA review of University of Maine funding could hit PFAS, biofuel research
Minnesota Reformer: Farmers, food banks describe ‘chaos’ of USDA grant suspensions
KARE11: USDA grant freeze puts Minnesota farmers, and those depending on them, in a bind at a critical time
ABC 6 News: Local farmers feel effects of federal funding freeze
Ag Daily: ‘Chaotic’ USDA funding freeze stalls rural renewable projects
NYC Food Policy Center: February 2025 Food Flash
Farm and Dairy: Cold shoulder: With funding frozen, ag conservation projects hang in balance
Kentucky Lantern: Trump administration plans for federal contracts stir worries across Kentucky
Lexington Herald Leader: Trump pause on federal farming conservation funds leaves KY farmers with unpaid bills
High Plans Public Radio (HPPR ): Funding freeze leaves Kansas farmers unpaid for work they already completed
IPM News: A Midwest farmer was promised money for a new delivery truck. Then Trump froze the funds
Kiowa County Press: The Yonder Report: News from rural America – February 27, 2025
Jefferson Public Radio: Southern Oregon farmers and ranchers hit by federal funding freeze
Augusta Free Press: ‘Unneeded fear and hardship on rural America’: USDA releases some IRA funds to farmers
Bangor Daily News: Maine farmers struggle with federal funding freeze and cuts
Portland Press Herald: Maine lawmaker wants state to help farmers affected by federal funding freeze
News Center Maine: Maine farmers say they’re frustrated while they wait for funding resolution
Nebraska Public Radio: A Midwest farmer was promised money for a new delivery truck. Then the funds were frozen
Sioux Land Proud: Nebraska nonprofit explains impact of federal funding freeze
Omaha World-Herald: Celebrated Biden-era EPA grants frozen by Trump and then restored
Inside Climate News: USDA’s Purge of Climate Data is Illegal and Reckless, Doing Immediate Harm to Farmers, Lawsuit Alleges
Lancaster Farming: Farmers Feel Loss of Climate Project Funding After Government Freezes
The Ithaca Voice: Cornell researchers protest Trump era funding freeze, cuts
Brownfield: Climate-smart grant holders say ripple effects are mounting
WIFT The Morning Agenda: Federal climate money for Pa. farmers still frozen
Slate: The True Cost of Slashing the Government
Seattle Times: Trump’s funding freeze puts Skagit County farms on slippery slope
Grist: Slim margins, climate disasters, and Trump’s funding freeze: Life or death for many US farms
NSAC has been a leader in agricultural policy for more than 35 years and has been instrumental in helping to develop some of our nation’s most successful agricultural programs for conserving natural resources, advancing the next generation of farmers, supporting agricultural research, and creating sustainable market connections. To stay informed about this and other important issues, sign up for NSAC’s free e-newsletter!
