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On March 6, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) hosted a virtual briefing: Impact in the Field – How the USDA Funding Freeze and Employee Layoffs are Impacting Farmers and Ranchers. Five farmers from around the country joined NSAC’s policy director, Mike Lavender, for a panel discussion to voice their concerns about the ongoing funding freeze severely impacting agricultural programs and farmers across the country. The briefing highlighted the urgent financial strain caused by the unlawful pause of vital contracts, grants, and support programs, leaving farmers uncertain about their futures as they enter the growing season and served as an opportunity to amplify powerful first-hand stories from the field about just what is at stake in the federal policy arena. 

Rachel Bouressa is a fifth-generation farmer and grazing specialist who operates the Bouressa Family Farm in Waupaca County in central Wisconsin. At the briefing, Bouressa talked about the distress felt by many in the agricultural community. Bouressa holds several USDA contracts, including EQIP and CSP agreements, and expressed her uncertainty about whether these contracts would be paid. “Only a sliver of the funds have been released, and there are no answers,” Bouressa said, emphasizing how this freeze has disrupted her ability to manage her farm and meet financial obligations, including payments to neighboring farmers.

Adam Chappell of Chappell Farms in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, an 8,000-acre farm that the Chappell family has tended for four generations, spoke next. Chappell highlighted some of the impacts of the significant staffing cuts at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with over 40 employees lost in the state alone. Chappell’s farm relies heavily on NRCS programs for conservation and cost-saving practices and he warned that without these crucial services, the future of many farms is at risk. “We were already short-staffed before, and now with these cuts, it’s unclear how we will be able to process payments or secure new contracts for the upcoming season,” Chappell said. While court decisions have since required USDA to reinstate fired employees, it remains unclear the extent to which USDA is complying.

Steve Tucker from Southwest Nebraska faced the cancellation of a $400,000 Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant, which would have helped establish a much-needed processing facility for small-scale, specialized food products. Tucker’s plan was derailed when the federal freeze delayed funding, halting progress on a project that could have supported local farmers and businesses. “Without the grant, our project is dead in the water,” Tucker explained, noting the loss of potential jobs and opportunities for small producers and the exponential impact this has on the local economy.

Patrick Brown, a fourth-generation farmer from North Carolina, (and is a winner of the 2024 Small Farmer of the Year Award from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University), is facing a similar crisis. His farm, which had enrolled 90% of its acreage in a climate-smart project, is now in financial limbo after the suspension of the contracts. Despite already planting cover crops for the fall, Brown’s future is uncertain as he prepares for the 2025 growing season. “Without the necessary funding to continue the work we started, we may have to put our farm into collateral to keep it afloat,” Brown said.

Anna Knight, a farmer in California, also detailed the devastating impact on her operation, which provides 1,000 food boxes a week through the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program. The program’s freeze has resulted in a $60,000 loss for her farm in just one week. Knight underscored the broader impact on the farming community, with crops already in the ground and no contracts to cover the loss. “This is a real economic impact,” Knight said. “We urge the government to honor the contracts already signed and help farmers navigate these next months.” Since the briefing on March 6, USDA has terminated all future LFPA funding, igniting profoundly harmful economic impacts nationwide.

As the growing season fast approaches, the stories shared during the briefing paint a stark picture of the consequences of this funding freeze. Farmers and organizations are continuing to call on the federal government to release funds and honor existing contracts to ensure the sustainability and productivity of farms, protect local food systems, and prevent further economic damage to rural communities.

For more information on last week’s briefing see NSAC’s press release.

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