Despite the release of some federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many programs are still in limbo, leaving New York farmers without funding they were counting on. 

In some cases, according to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a freeze or end to some programs puts farmers at risk of defaulting on loans without contracted funding from the USDA. 

“Many of my constituents have reached out to me with extreme concerns that the financial viability of their operations is in jeopardy if they are unable to access those contracted funds,” Gillibrand wrote in a letter to the U.S. agriculture secretary. “Farmers have taken out loans to begin work on incredibly important and cost-saving projects on their farms.”

One of the frozen programs, the Rural Energy for America Program, allows farmers to purchase and install renewable energy systems and improve their energy efficiency. Awards for New York farms were given out last fall totaling over $5 million, some over $500,000 per farm.  

Kim Snyder, an owner of Stokoe 1812, a crop and dairy heifer farm in Monroe County, said their farm was approved for an approximately $220,000 REAP grant to install a new grain drying system that is more energy efficient.  

“We’ll start construction this spring and have it completed within a couple of months and then submit bills (to the USDA) for reimbursement,” Snyder said. 

While it is unclear what the status of the federal funding will be at that time, Snyder has concerns it will remain inaccessible.  

“It’s very likely it will (still be frozen), and every day brings new challenges. Now we have tariffs, besides the low commodity prices. It’s only going to get worse at this point,” she said.  

The farm raises about 2,000 acres of corn along with other crops such as wheat, barley, rye and soybeans.  

“Four years ago, we might have been able to get $5 for a bushel of corn. We’re now looking at $3.50, $3.60,” Snyder said. “At this point, we’ll have to plan to take out loans at 7-8%. [We] can’t afford that either, but that’s what you have to do if you’re going to be in the business.”

The new grain drying system is estimated to save the farm about $40,000 per year and reduce their energy usage by 57% per year. It would equal enough electricity to power 164 homes.  

In addition to the funding freeze, there have been staffing changes at USDA, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), a branch of the department that helps with disaster relief, dairy coverage programs, loans and crop insurance. 

“If you choose to participate, which most farmers do, then it makes them eligible in the event of a price disaster or an environmental disaster,” said Mike McMahon, a dairy farmer and FSA state committee member.  

Recent layoffs and resignations at the USDA left New York’s FSA offices short-staffed, McMahon said.

“There’s 42 county offices in the state and we’re now at a point where we’ve got one person overseeing three county offices and this is occurring more and more because we’re not allowed to replace people who are retiring, we’re not allowed to bring new people in so we’re finding ourselves really stretched as far as covering all the bases in all the counties,” he said.  

Recently, the Department of Government Efficiency Service (DOGE) said it is terminating some of the office leases for the FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Services, another branch of the USDA that oversees environmental regulations and permits. One of those leases includes NRCS’ New York state office located in Syracuse.  

“Secretary Brooke Rollins fully supports President [Donald] Trump’s directive to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively. USDA is optimizing building capacity and consolidating underutilized offices to reduce inefficiencies while continuing to prioritize frontline services for farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said a spokesperson for the USDA.  

The USDA declined to do a full interview on the closure of the office in Syracuse.

These factors have led to uncertainty for agriculture stakeholders and farmers, McMahon said.  

“I think the biggest issue is just that nobody knows what’s happening. Employees are talking to their bosses, and they don’t know, and that echoes all the way to the state office,” he said. 

While Snyder said she hasn’t hit delays yet when working with the FSA to secure funding for her farm, she worries they will happen. 

“If you had somebody that was hired six months ago, you don’t know if you can count on that person being there anymore. It’s just the uneasiness, I get the ideas (Trump) is trying to promote but it definitely makes for unsettled times,” Snyder said.