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Despite efforts to develop markets and genetics, Missouri's industrial hemp industry is at its lowest point in years.

The USDA's Rural Development agency has provided billions of dollars each year to small towns, farmers and businesses. Now staffing upheaval and budget cuts brought on by the Trump administration may be eating into the agency’s effectiveness.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced more than a billion dollars in cuts – almost $20 million was set to go to Missouri.

Certified Naturally Grown has similar standards to the National Organic Program, but is less costly and requires less paperwork from farmers. But it has an uphill battle if it wants trust and recognition at the grocery store.

The report lists many sources of local and national money which could aid agrotourism efforts.

Programs that provide drought relief to farmers use the U.S. Drought Monitor to determine eligibility, but some experts say it doesn’t always capture local conditions.

Black and other minority farmers are set to receive more than $2 billion in federal aid in response to decades of discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service recently announced it is discontinuing a few market surveys due to budget cuts. Some lawmakers and industry groups have expressed concern and want the decision to be reversed.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture report found “socially disadvantaged producers,” especially Black farmers, operate at a higher risk level compared to their white counterparts and are less likely to receive government payments.

More than 100 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year in America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Food Bank is trying to cut down on that waste by connecting local farmers and food pantries, but it’s future depends on how much funding is included for the program in the next farm bill.