Proposed Grant Rules Increase Uncertainty, Risk for Farmers
Since January 2025, farmers, agricultural organizations, and the communities they serve have experienced unprecedented instability in long-standing federal partnerships with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lengthy funding freezes, unanticipated grant terminations, full program cancellations, and a woefully understaffed USDA have detrimentally disrupted the programs, services, and resources that farmers and rural communities leverage to build environmentally resilient and economically viable businesses, strengthen local and regional supply chains, and grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Now, proposed changes to federal rules governing grants and cooperative agreements threaten to further destabilize an already fragile agricultural sector by injecting additional uncertainty and risk into the agreements farmers and farmer-serving organizations enter into with the USDA. This post provides context and background on the issue, analyzes key concerns with the proposed rule, and offers resources for stakeholders who …
