Illinois Farmers Testify on Hardships Caused by Federal Funding Freeze

State House Hearing Emphasized Human Toll of Impersonal Program Cuts

The Illinois House Agriculture Committee today (March 11) held a hearing on the critical impact — on farmers, organizations, and eaters — of the abrupt and arbitrary funding freeze placed on key USDA programs. 

Over the course of more two hours, more than two dozen witnesses provided powerful and at times emotional testimony to the financial risk and hardships they are facing. There was a heavy emphasis on the IL-EATS program, created under the aegis of the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) cooperative program. 

Under the IL-EATS program, farmers entered into contracts with the USDA to grow food that was distributed to individuals and families enduring food insecurity. Most of the farmers in the program are from socially disadvantaged groups; all of the recipients under the program lacked access to healthy food. 

Despite all evidence that the program was working well, the new administration in Washington, D.C. targeted it and other programs benefiting farmers. There is much reason to believe that the program was in the crosshairs because it was created by the preceding Biden administration, without regard to whether the program had merit. I’ve heard of no stakeholders who were consulted before they were blindsided with the news that the government was suspending its contractual obligation to reimburse them for what in many cases are significant out-of-pocket expenses. 

As a result, farmers who were doing the right thing have been placed at significant financial risk and uncertainty just as the planting season is getting under way, and needy recipients are being denied their healthy food. 

My first career was as a 30-year political journalist in Washington. So I feel free to say that it’s easy for someone in the White House or federal agencies to carry out a political agenda without regard to its impact on real people across the country. Today’s hearing brought those personal, human stories to life, and we must heed their calls for help. 

As witness Jody Osmund of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm (Ottawa, Illinois) said: 

These funding freezes create chaos and uncertainty and economic impact on farmers and eaters, and taking away conservation funding will cause more erosion of our soils, our most valuable resource that Illinois has. That's that's a huge concern. But an even bigger concern of mine is the erosion of trust, when hard-working farmers sign contracts with Uncle Sam and our government does not honor those, who can we trust... This must stop, and we must have a USDA that we can trust. 

It’s impossible to condense all the testimony into one article, so the focus here is on the real-life calamities affecting farmers that are being caused by the funding freeze. I am hoping that the livestream of the hearing will be distributed and I will share it if it is.

Natalie Ward, Aggregation and Distribution Warehouse Manager, Down at the Farms, Fairbury  

Down at the Farms represents a nonpartisan collaboration of about 120 farmers who for the last 20 years have worked together to support each other through crop planning, marketing, aggregating and distributing local food into many communities across the state. Last year, we delivered just short of 1 million pounds of local food.

Our business and our farmers are being dramatically impacted by the uncertainty of these federal cuts to vital agriculture programs... I would mostly like to focus on the LFPA program. This program has allowed our farmers an opportunity to provide significant amounts of foods to families in need... It has fostered pride in our farmers, who feel they are truly making a difference in these families’ lives...

But here we are. Today is March 11. Our farmers now have products that are on hold. We are starting crops. We have meat and dairy that are being produced for this program. We are now unable to move it to families and food banks.  

There's a feeling of frustration, anger, disappointment, and yet hope, hope that you in this room, all of us in this room, can, with urgency, make a difference and find a way to restore and sustain these vital agriculture programs. Do we truly place value on good and healthy food? We place value on the producers that grow that food? Do we value thriving local communities, and do we value bringing the next generation of farmers to the table?  

Harold Wilken, farmer, Janie’s Farm in Danforth and Janie’s Mill in Ashkum 

I am here today to share the positive effects of the IL-EATS program and the effects it was having on the farmers, food processors and the consumers in Illinois, especially people living in what is known as food deserts in rural Illinois, where small communities can no longer support a viable grocery store... Through the IL-EATS program, we provided cornmeal, all-purpose flour and flaked oats to underserved families. We worked with food hubs from DeKalb to St Louis to provide great quality food.  

Not only does our mill create products that are healthy and nutritious, but it also is an economic driver for our community of 800 people. Between the farm and the mill, we employ 40 people, along with my son, my nephew and I. IL-EATS allowed us to add two full-time employees and one part-time position to fulfill these orders. IL-EATS was the epitome of what our mission as farmers is supposed to be. We are. and should be, who feeds our neighbors.  

Ten months ago, we signed an agreement to provide food for this program. We, like so many other farmers, providers, ramped up our businesses to meet the demand; overcome the challenges and incurred costs, such as seed packaging and labels; and added equipment, counting on the program to last at least through the end of the fiscal year, and maybe even into 2026... I would truly like to see some way that farmers could be made whole by looking at ways to at least run the program through the end of the contract.  

Rachel Smedberg, Tulip Tree Gardens, Beecher

I'm a farmer, a food aggregator, a business owner, a mother and a wife. My journey is shaped by passion and purpose, and I'm here to testify on the remarkable impact of LFPA...  

I am a first-generation farmer. I entered this field without the advantage of a family legacy or generational expertise. We view this opportunity as a chance to redefine a relationship with the land and our obligations to our community. We forged our own path cultivating not just crops, but a vibrant community that stands outside the conventional agriculture framework... 

We found ourselves strategically positioned to become aggregators and distributors for the LFPA program. This initiative acted as a catalyst for an unprecedented local food movement across Illinois. What unfolded was truly transformative. By bridging the gap between farmers and food recipients, we began to heal in ways we have never anticipated. We turn the traditional narrative of local nutrient-dense foods on its head. What was once reserved for affluent farmers markets is now accessible...  

Many families are experiencing wholesome, nutrient-dense food for the very first time. Imagine that many children are consuming nutrient-dense food for the very first time in their lives. Just let that resonate for a moment.  

Without LFPA, here's what goes missing from just our corner of the market. Farmers lose out already invested infrastructure and are forced to make up for the losses. What was in that benefit for farmers has now appeared to drive farmers further into debt and to struggle. Many specialty crop growers and ranchers have lost confidence. We don't feel supported, because we're not supported.  

Michael Howard, CEO, Fuller Park Community Development and Eden Place Farms, Chicago

I am an urban farmer... I've been coming to Springfield for over 15 years, praising the fact that urban farmers are much needed, especially in urban areas where we have large concentrations of populations.  

In 2024, we were proud to receive the funding from the USDA for our urban farm, which exists to provide fresh produce to a community that has lacked a grocery store for over four decades... With the new partnerships with the state of Illinois, LFPA and IL-EATS and the US forestry grants that we anticipated for 2025, we secured significant funding, enough to establish a food forest that would offer fresh fruit to our local residents. The funding also allowed us to expand our modest urban farm, enabling us to serve over 1,500 families and seniors with fresh vegetables.

Additionally, we drafted plans to hire three additional full staff members to meet the expected demand for produce from our farm and our new fruit forest that we were establishing this year, and we also are hoping to install a new roof on our 13,000 square foot facility, which houses our aggregation center and our classrooms that train new farmers for tomorrow's future. 

And so basically, regretfully, an executive order out of Washington, D.C. calls the canceling of all of the funding for not only us, but farmers nationwide, and not-for-profits like ourselves that have strived for over three decades to provide and bring resources into our community... This problem has severely impacted our programming, our planning and our community, because this decision only dampens our spirit, but significantly hinders our efforts to improve the lives and of the residents and the families of Fuller Park and the surrounding communities...  

Mitch Cave, 4 Lees Farm, Virginia, IL 

I've been involved with IL-EATS program since last year, supplying proteins and vegetables to the Central Illinois Food Bank located here in Springfield. The program has a very positive impact on our small farm, financially as well as adding stability to the food system. We appreciate when products can be enjoyed locally by community members who otherwise might not have access to quality local meat and produce by choosing local. 

The IL-EATS program is reducing food miles, supporting sustainable practices and nurturing the environment. We appreciate that it's not just selling meat and produce; we are playing a part in a building of a stronger, more inclusive food system... 

The disruption to our existing contract impacted my operation greatly from the funding freeze... We now pay our processors rent for our pork and our chicken because we had no place for it to go. Our freezers at home were full... Seeds were started, livestock growing, processing dates for the year were made, with the intent to fulfill our contract in our obligation. 

Leslie Cooperband, former co-owner, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, Champaign

We farm because we are committed to raising healthy and delicious food sustainably and regeneratively. We believe deeply that agriculture can work with nature and build community.  

I'm here today to express deep concerns about the future of the IL-EATS program and the USDA Agriculture Conservation Program. The new owners of Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery told me that the IL-EATS program, working with Down at the Farms, provided 20  percent of its wholesale cheese income last year... Moreover, the IL-EATS program allowed financially disadvantaged consumers to access our award-winning cheese along with amazing locally produced meats, eggs and produce.

Jody Osmond, co-owner, Cedar Valley Sustainable Livestock Farm, Ottawa 

Over the 23 years that I've been farming, USDA has been a reliable partner, providing technical assistance for conservation programs, converting row crop acreage to permanent pastures... Also, I've taken advantage of the United States USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development Program, an education program with a grant that allowed our CSA to go from $50,000 a year in sales to $175,000 years in sales in one year... 

These funding freezes create chaos and uncertainty and economic impact on farmers and eaters, and taking away conservation funding will cause more erosion of our soils, our most valuable resource that Illinois has. That's that's a huge concern.

But an even bigger concern of mine is the erosion of trust, when hard-working farmers sign contracts with Uncle Sam and our government does not honor those who can we trust... This must stop, and we must have a USDA that we can trust.

Benjamin Stumpf, owner, Rumblin’ Ernie Farm, Columbia 

We are a young vegetable farm heading into our fifth year of production... Over the last nine months of participating in the IL-EATS program, our farm provided produce to over 300 of our region's most vulnerable families. The funds received from the LFPA have drastically improved my family's quality of life, helped address food insecurity in my community, and put our farms overall trajectory on a positive path...

The momentum we built in 2024 has abruptly come to an end to the USDA funding freeze. This freeze couldn't have come at a worse time when ground needs to be worked, seeds need to be sown. Inputs are high and funds are low... The USDA funding freeze reduced our farm’s capacity to hire our first employee.... Vegetable farming is hard, and it's even harder to do alone...

Running a farm is never static. Restaurants close, severe weather events often occur, and pandemics have the ability to shut down supply chains. A lot of the challenges we face as farmers are out of our control. It was comforting to know that, up until this point, our farm had full support from the USDA on multiple fronts to help improve our ability to provide food to our community.  

Erika Allen, co-founder and CEO, Urban Growers Collective, Chicago 

I've been fortunate to lead as community-based agriculture, really removing this very false divide between our rural and urban communities because we all eat... Our mission is really to cultivate nourishing environments where that everybody's health is supported, that we have flourishing economic development, that we have places where people can heal and support one another, that there's creativity and joy...

Farmers are some of the most generous and forward-thinking people within our country... These [frozen] agricultural payments... disproportionately impact small growers, the emerging small farmers, the ranchers, the producers who are already operating on very, very narrow margins and need additional supports to deliver much needed food access, nutrition services to our hungry community members who are also in need of nutritionally dense foods to preserve and support public health. 

These programs are dynamic. They provide low-cost financial supports and impact the entire state and region. They make us more food-secure and stimulate our economy. We have folks moving back to small towns that are in need of more population, young people, young families that are excited to return to agriculture... 

To have a program like IL-EATS... that supports specialty crops, food that people eat directly, has been so beneficial. Our organization was able to increase our food production by 20 percent last season, which is huge. We've also been able to grow 15,000 additional seedlings, which now we're going to have to figure out what other markets we can find...

This is really challenging at a time when we know that we need to be more regionally focused. We need to not be relying on importing our food when we can feed ourselves... We should be growing as much of our food locally for our local population. So it's just really baffling that we're in this position.  

BACKGROUND ON THE IL-EATS CRISIS

---

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL FOOD FORUM