Lawrencia Rogers, a 33-year-old Iowan, finally saw her dream of farming come true in March when she began a two-year fellowship with Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), a non-profit supported by a $2.5 million USDA grant.
The program provided her with land, equipment, and expert guidance.
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Just two and a half weeks later, the USDA cancelled the grant, calling it “wasteful spending” and claiming it violated the administration’s policy against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Rogers was laid off.
“It was honestly like school for farmers,” Rogers recalled.
The fellowship offered a living wage, health insurance, and paid time off—a rare opportunity for someone without family ties to agriculture.
Broader Impact on Small Producers
The cancellation is part of a wider pattern under President Donald Trump, who promised to champion farmers but whose policies have created turmoil for small-scale producers.
The USDA has laid off staff, ended Biden-era initiatives, and frozen funds for local food programs.
“The continued canceled funding that we’re seeing from USDA continues to be the cherry on top for many organizations and farmers that are already up against really hard times,” said Anna Pesek, a board member of Iowa Valley RC&D.
James Nisly, a farmer, estimated he lost 20% of his cashflow when the USDA scrapped a program that purchased locally produced food for schools and food banks.
“All of the policy activity that I’ve seen is hugely beneficial to the very large corporations, and detrimental to the small-business operators,” he said.
