Trump spending freeze sticks Iowa farmers with millions in bills

[suegeo]

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/2025/02/14/donald-trump-federal-spending-freeze-iowa-farmers-owed-millions-climate-smart-agriculture/78407310007/

About 1,000 farmers in Midwestern states are owed $11 million — roughly $10 million of it in Iowa — under federal initiatives that pledged to pay them for planting soil-stabilizing cover crops and undertaking other conservation initiatives in 2024, the Iowa Soybean Association says.

Trump’s actions, part of a broad government review now underway, also leave in doubt another $86 million promised farmers under a five-year "climate smart" agriculture initiative approved during the Biden administration.

They're not alone. Practical Farmers of Iowa says the group and growers also are waiting for millions of dollars promised for conservation work. And the Conservation Districts of Iowa, a nonprofit that provides farmers with technical expertise on conservation efforts statewide, has laid off about three-dozen people because of the spending freeze.

Iowa farm and conservation groups met with federal lawmakers in Washington this week and hope the hold is temporary. But Swart said his group returned home without clarity on when payments would be released.

“There are a lot of question marks and unknowns right now,” he said, adding that confirmation Thursday of Trump agriculture secretary nominee Brooke Rollins could lead to money being released. The U.S. Department of Agriculture didn't respond to a request for comment on the freeze.

[Ocelot II]

1. Meanwhile, the leopards are prowling Iowa farm fields.

[SharonClark]

2. Grassy and Ernst will try to carve out an exception

for the rich farmers. It’s all about supporting “rural“ Iowa and screwing over the cities.