Over the last four months the Donald Trump Administration has made sweeping changes to many federal agencies. Rapid shifts at the Department of Agriculture have left farmers scrambling for answers.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is one of many organizations that have created resource guides for farmers who’ve lost government contracts, need legal or immigration support, or want details on what Trump’s executive orders mean for agriculture.
“We keep it as up to date as possible in terms of any new directives from the administrative branch we're learning about, any new contract terminations, any funds that have been released and also possible litigation efforts,” said Stef Funk who works for the coalition and is among those compiling information farmers may need.
Farmers can receive money from the government in the form of loans, insurance payouts, and grants for conservation or capital improvements. Additionally, many local and regional farm and food programs receive federal grants. Much of that funding has been called into question as the Trump Administration’s USDA has cancelled programs and laid off staff.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is made up of approximately 150 organizations across the country that prioritize sustainable agriculture and local food systems. Funk said staff have been working since January to stay in touch with members to best assess what types of information farmers and organizations need amid federal changes.
“It wasn't uncommon that we would finalize something and by the time we were ready to share it with members the situation had changed so much that we were basically rewriting the entire document,” she said.
The coalition sends regular email updates to member organizations who are then encouraged to share with farmers, ranchers and growers in their networks.
“A lot of farmers no longer trust the government, rather rightfully so,” said Funk. “So we found that one of the best ways to get resources to people is through another trusted human.”
Eowyn Corral is with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and said historically when presidential administrations change, the USDA has been able to maintain services. However, the Trump Administration has upended many programs and previous norms since January, including cancelling previously-approved funds.
“The destruction that is happening to the food system will take more than a decade to repair … if we are being very honest,” Corral said.
Corral is concerned the cancelled USDA programs will especially hurt small farmers and organizations focused on environmental sustainability.
“We're talking about historically underserved communities and individuals and sustainable ag has never been where all the money is placed,” they said.
Funk and Corral expect USDA’s staff to be further trimmed in the coming months, which could cause farmers to see the effects of Trump administration changes even more.
