Saturday, February 22, 2025

Farmers hit by a federal funding freeze scramble

Many farmers made investments based on Agriculture Department funding that the Trump administration has put on hold. Some are in financial peril. Farmers across the U.S. are struggling to make critical decisions ahead of the spring thaw, as billions of dollars in promised federal payments remain frozen by the Trump administration.

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More from the article...

... On his first day of office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that paused the disbursement of all funds linked to former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which included $19.5 billion in agriculture-related conservation programs. The Trump administration also froze funds related to a separate $3.1 billion investment in "climate-smart" farm projects made under Biden.

The frozen funding was set to support projects including rotational grazing systems to improve soil health, waterways to reduce erosion, the installation of solar panels, and conversion from diesel to electric irrigation systems. Thousands of farmers have made plans and investments based on the promised funding, leaving some in financial peril, according to several groups that support farmers. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-22 12:31 PM

Republican lawmakers no show as western Wisconsin farmers complain of Trump chaos, disruption

Seven western Wisconsin Republican lawmakers did not appear at an event hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union in Chippewa Falls Friday as farmers from the area said they were concerned about the effect that President Donald Trump's first month in office is having on their livelihoods."

wisconsinexaminer.com

#2 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-02-22 12:46 PM

@#2 ... Seven western Wisconsin Republican lawmakers did not appear at an event hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union ...

The actions of those Republican lawmakers seem to show they are loyal to Pres Trump, and not to the Constitution and their constituents


.

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-22 01:01 PM

They won't be able to scramble eggs before too long.

#4 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-22 01:10 PM

@#4

As I have noted previously, it will take a while before the effects of these Trump actions trickle down to the voters.

For example, Midwest farmers import about 80% of their fertilizer (potash) from Canada.

How might tariffs affect the price the farmers have to pay for fertilizer, and how will that extra cost show up locally in the supermarkets?

Tariff Threats and US Fertilizer Imports
farmdocdaily.illinois.edu

... Today's article examines imports of fertilizer products used to supply the main crop macronutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The US relies on imports for a relatively small share of its consumption of N and P fertilizers, but is heavily reliant on imports of K fertilizers (see farmdoc daily, March 17, 2022). ...

fwiw, "K" is the chemical symbol of, you guessed it, potassium.

What is Potash?
www.cropnutrition.com

... Fertilizer potassium is sometimes called "potash," a term that comes from an early production technique where potassium was leached from wood ashes and concentrated by evaporating the leachate in large iron pots ("pot-ash"). This practice is no longer practical and is not environmentally sustainable. In food production, potassium is removed from the soil in harvested crops and must be replaced in order to maintain future crop growth. ...


#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-22 08:01 PM

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