SALEM, Ohio — Money promised to farmers has remained frozen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture following the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal loans and grants last month. The administration later rescinded the order, yet despite assurances that agriculture programs would not be affected, the USDA has yet to clarify when or if that money will be distributed.
For the time being, the agency is not speaking with the media or anybody else, nor is it clarifying when farmers can expect to get their payments. The unexplained funding halt has led to immediate financial strain on farms, food hubs and conservation projects across the country, including workforce development programs such as the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, which was supported by a Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities grant from the USDA. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program funded projects to reduce the environmental impact of farming.
According to Newsweek, other affected programs include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which assisted farms in implementing conservation practices, and the Small Business Innovation Research program, which offered grants to agricultural entrepreneurs.
“Recent executive actions are creating concern for farmers and communities—no one knows what funding will be available, or if key programs will have the staff needed to get funds out the door,” Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, told the Senate Agriculture Committee on Feb. 5. “Freezing spending and making sweeping decisions without congressional oversight just adds more uncertainty to an already tough farm economy.”
Days before the freeze order was rescinded on Jan. 29, the Office of Management and Budget issued an internal memo outlining how federal agencies were required to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities to ensure they were consistent with the President’s policies.
The memo stated that agencies must temporarily pause all disbursement of Federal financial assistance, as well as other relevant agency activities, specifically “financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”
