Over the past two years, Hoosier farmers planted about 10,000 acres of cover crops through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture aimed at building soil health and stopping fertilizers from entering waterways.
But now, some growers enrolled in the Farmers for Soil Health initiative might not be compensated by the agriculture agency, which reimburses farmers $50 over three years for every acre they plant with cover crops, explained Ben Wicker, executive director of the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance.
Cover crops like rye grass, clover and oats are grown between rows of other crops, such as corn, to promote soil health and biodiversity.
President Donald Trump in January issued a memo freezing billions of dollars of USDA funding for conservation programs. The administration later rescinded the memo before a federal judge also blocked the decision, but many programs have yet to see the grant money released.
That includes the Indiana nutrient alliance, which was set to receive $500,000 to hire agronomists and provide technical assistance to farmers interested in planting cover crops, Wicker noted. That money is on hold, barring the group from enrolling more growers who had planned to join the soil program.
Farmers for Soil Health is just one of more than 400 USDA programs Trump put on hold to ensure they align with his policy goals while overhauling the federal government to cut spending.
Indiana farmers are now trying to determine the true impact of that decision, explained Andy Tauer, executive director of public policy at Indiana Farm Bureau. He traveled to Washington, D.C., in mid-February to talk with USDA representatives, who listened to concerns about the impacts of the funding freeze.
“We’re optimistic that we’ll get this ironed out and make sure that many of these programs that are near and dear to our members and benefit rural communities will start moving forward,” Tauer said.
The USDA took the first steps to do that last week, when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the agency was releasing about $20 million to pay farmers for previously approved contracts through three federal conservation programs.
However, the funding represents only a sliver of the billions of dollars on hold to USDA programs. That includes money from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act — the landmark 2022 climate-change law that included about $19.5 billion for farm programs over 10 years.
“After careful review, it is clear that some of this funding went to programs that had nothing to do with agriculture — that is why we are still reviewing,” Rollins said in a statement.
In the meantime, some farmers around the country who have not been reimbursed are reporting they might be forced to close their operations without receiving the federal dollars owed them.
Other Indiana growers say they support Trump’s move to review USDA programs to ensure the funding is being used as intended.
Justin Campbell, a corn-and- oybean farmer in Vigo County, said he supports conservation programs that help farmers stay competitive. His operation received a USDA grant reimbursement last year after installing a grain dryer that cut energy costs and saves enough electricity to power 34 homes.
But other projects approved by the agency might not actually achieve conservation goals, he asserted.
“I know that there’s probably some projects out there that the truth is stretched on,” Campbell said. “I don’t think having a second set of eyes on something is a bad thing. They’re all about cutting out waste right now, so I can’t say I’m upset about it.”
That sentiment is shared throughout rural Indiana, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump in November. Many Hoosier farmers support the president’s agenda and trust his policies will eventually create a boon for the industry, explained Tauer with Indiana Farm Bureau.
“The reality of it is a lot of our members, and lot of rural America, voted for President Trump and the ideas he shared on the campaign trail,” he said. “They are looking at this like there may be some short-term pain for some longer-term gains.”
Trump has shown little interest for conservation efforts or renewable energy, and has often spoken about his support for oil and gas and erasing environmental and climate policies created under the Biden administration.
How that view will influence which USDA conservation programs survive remains to be seen. The agency
said additional funding announcements are “forthcoming” as programs are reviewed to ensure they “are focused on supporting farmers and ranchers, not DEIA programs or far-left climate programs.”
A USDA spokesperson said in an email that Rollins is working to make determinations as “quickly as possible” and “understands that farmers have made decisions based on these funding opportunities, and that some have been waiting on payments during this government-wide review.”
Wicker with the Indiana nutrient alliance said he hopes the agency will see the value in his organization’s efforts. The program has helped farmers implement best practices when planting cover crops, which saves them time and money while improving soil and water quality.
“We’re hopeful that as the review process goes through that the merits and the value of all that will be seen,” he said. “Certainly, where contracts and commitments have been made, we’re hopeful that those will be honored as well.”
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