Earned Media
Editorial: Congress should work to protect Louisiana’s farmers
[Conservation] programs may not have generated a lot of headlines, but they were popular: In 2023, for instance, more than 3,700 Louisiana agriculture producers applied for grants under the two programs, according to reporting by Stephen Marcantel for this newspaper. Only a fraction — 825 — of those applications were successful, but those provided more than $50 million to local farms to make improvements.
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Louisiana farmers in limbo after Trump freezes $363M in reimbursements: ‘Really shocked me’
David Smith of DeRidder couldn't justify the cost in the current agricultural economy with its high input costs and low commodity prices. So he looked at applying for a U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service program that would have partly covered the cost of seed. The agency helps farmers identify conservation concerns on their operations and works to ensure availability of resources for future generations.
Read More Louisiana farmers in limbo after Trump freezes $363M in reimbursements: ‘Really shocked me’
Iowa farmers stand to lose over $350 million in conservation funds amid USDA freeze
Iowa farmers stand to lose up to $356 million in future conservation funding through 2031, following a freeze on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) payments by the Trump administration, according to a university of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study.
Read More Iowa farmers stand to lose over $350 million in conservation funds amid USDA freeze
EQIP seen as investment in rural America
A northwestern Arkansas farmer says the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) is an investment in rural America. Jared Phillips, who raises sheep and forages at Branch Mountain Farm in Washington County, says he utilized the program to completely alter his operation. “It let us make some key investments in our farm.”
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Frozen USDA funds hurting all levels of ag – Sioux County Radio
The director of the Gardner Agricultural Policy Program at the University of Illinois says the Trump administration’s freezing of USDA funding is having far reaching consequences. “If those are not fulfilled, then that’s a breach of the contract.” Jonathan Coppess says, “Those are farmers oftentimes that invest their own money in expectation of reimbursement out of the contract. So, it’s a double loss for that farmer.”
Read More Frozen USDA funds hurting all levels of ag – Sioux County Radio
Arkansas farmers could lose $665 million in conservation funding
“Cutting conservation funding at a time when we’re already dealing with so much uncertainty isn’t the answer. These funds help us make valuable improvements that protect our land against extreme weather while also boosting our business. It’s a win-win all the way around, and I hope our leaders don’t take these valuable tools away when we need them most" farmer Jared Phillips of Prairie Grove.
Read More Arkansas farmers could lose $665 million in conservation funding