Letters to the Editor

The views expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of DTN, its management or employees.

**

To the Editor:

Farmers know that when an out-of-town salesman pulls into the farm driveway and starts lecturing about how we can be "more efficient" it is time to put your hand over your wallet. What's coming is probably a scheme we should warn our neighbors about.

In fact, what's happening at USDA and to our farmers is the opposite of efficient. Federal funding holds have put conservation and other farm investments at risk and jeopardize real innovation in rural America.

In Iowa, our farming way of life is engrained in our history and culture. That extends into every aspect of our lives including our economic well-being. Our Iowa economy can only do well when agriculture does well.

When our farmers thrive, so do our communities and so does the country.

But today, that way of life is under threat. Thousands of farmers in Iowa and across the country are now facing an impossible situation.â?¯

In January, federal funding for vital agricultural programs was put on hold, including the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) conservation programs that thousands of farmers rely on to stay competitive, drive innovation, and build resilience. Farmers in Iowa and many other states, operating on razor-thin margins, had already paid out of pocket for conservation projects based on USDA's contractual commitment to reimburse them. Now, they're left in limbo, unsure of when -- or if -- USDA will meet its obligations.â?¯ This breach by the federal government means that farmers are unsure about the future of their operations, and many families are at real risk of losing their farms.

For nearly a century, USDA conservation programs have helped farmers implement science-based practices to protect their land and adapt to ever-changing agricultural market conditions. The conservation funding embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) -- a $20 billion investment focused on money-saving adaptations and resilience -- has been a huge success across the country.

Farmers did their part, investing in soil health, water management, and conservation practices to keep their land productive and their businesses strong

Now the USDA needs to do its part.

But instead, USDA's funding freeze has left farmers stranded. And many of the USDA employees that make it all work have been fired.

This is the opposite of efficiency. It wouldn't be acceptable on our farms and it shouldn't be acceptable to the administration and to Congress.

Meanwhile Congress is proposing $230 billion in agriculture cuts to offset other spending priorities and may slash funding even further in the upcoming appropriations fight, threatening to gut critical conservation programs. These reckless cuts will hurt farmers directly and make passing the long overdue farm bill even harder, jeopardizing the stability of all agricultural programs including crop insurance and commodity support.

The best way forward is to keep these IRA conservation investments in the farm bill, the natural and appropriate place for negotiations on agricultural policy, where lawmakers on the Agriculture committees can provide farmers and rural communities with the stability they need. If Congress fails to act, the resulting instability will push more family farms into default, accelerate the consolidation of corporate ownership and control over America's food production, and further raise prices for consumers.

Congress and USDA must walk this back from the brink.

Aaron Lehman, President, Iowa Farmers Union

**

Letters may be emailed to edit@dtn.com or mailed to Greg Horstmeier, DTN, 18205 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE 68022.

(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.