Compared to the past few years, U.S. farmers face a tougher time securing federal aid as they adopt new land management strategies, according to new findings from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

The group said awarded contracts fell between 2024 and 2025 for two popular federal conservation programs. Nationally, contracts declined 38% for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and 21% for the Conservation Stewardship Program. In Minnesota, the drop in awarded contracts ranged between 20% and 30%. Republican lawmakers have argued it was better to shift temporary, enhanced aid from the Biden era into permanent baseline funding.

Michael Happ, program associate for climate and rural communities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said predictability is helpful, but the timing is not ideal.

“I just think about the farm economy right now and how expensive inputs are, and I think that conservation programs can play a role in offsetting some of those costs with practices like nutrient management,” Happ contended.

Happ argued federal staffing cuts in field offices have added to the problem, leaving remaining workers overwhelmed and less inclined to work with smaller farms. He pointed out it can lead to large contracts going to bigger operations, while producers with fewer resources are shut out. Federal officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Happ noted federal actions over the past year also have diminished conservation priorities labeled “climate smart.” He stressed it sends the wrong message as farmers across the Midwest face the effects of climate change.

“The dust storms that are going on and they’re more frequent these days, all the soil that’s being blown away," Happ observed. "If we have folks who are just kind of giving up on these programs that can help, that doesn’t seem like a good thing to me.”

The institute’s summary showed the national drop-off in approved applications is mirrored in most U.S. states and territories. While there was a steep decline between 2024 and 2025, the percentages did not fall much below levels seen before the enhanced federal aid.

Source: Public News Service