USDA cuts remove local conservation experts from nearly half of Illinois counties
The Trump administration cut 22% of the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff in 2025, impacting nearly half of Illinois counties.
Tag: USDA
These seed banks preserve crucial corn and soy varieties. A federal plan may put them at risk
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing moving the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center and the National Soybean Germplasm Collection from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, where they’ve both been housed for decades.
This program helped underserved farmers access land. Then USDA cut the funding
The program’s goal was to assist historically underserved farmers and ranchers, including Black, Indigenous and immigrant farmers, veterans and people farming for the first time.
Trump wants to slash $5 billion from USDA’s budget. That could hurt rural America, critics say
Some close watchers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget aren’t thrilled with the Trump administration’s proposal — but they’re hopeful some of the suggested cuts won’t make it in the final spending plans passed by Congress.
Soon after massive honeybee deaths, Trump moves to close the nation’s premier bee lab
When beekeepers saw widespread honeybee die-offs last year, researchers at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center stepped in to help. The Trump administration now plans to close the facility.
USDA lost 24,000 workers under Trump, hurting critical resources for farmers
The Trump administration’s federal workforce cuts shrunk U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies that inspect produce, provide conservation resources and collect data on crops and livestock.
As farmers face a changing climate, a USDA program designed to help is at risk
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a network of “climate hubs” to understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry and help farmers adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather.
More U.S. farmers would be eligible for federal loans under new bipartisan bill
A bipartisan bill would expand the eligibility requirements for applicants.
USDA data casts doubt on China’s soybean purchase promises touted by Trump
OMAHA, Neb. — New data the Agriculture Department released Friday created serious doubts about whether China will really buy millions of bushels of American soybeans like the Trump administration touted last month after a high-stakes meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The USDA report released after the government reopened showed only two Chinese
Illinois joins lawsuit to force federal government not to pause SNAP benefits
Nearly 2M Illinoisans could lose benefits as federal shutdown continues.
USDA is reopening some 2,100 offices to help farmers access $3B in aid despite the ongoing shutdown
The USDA said each Farm Service Agency office will have two workers who will be paid even though the government remains shutdown. These offices help farmers apply for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs.
USDA will no longer track hunger among Americans. That concerns food advocates
People working to address hunger say the canceled report is a main resource to understand where and how people are experiencing food insecurity across the country.
USDA’s DEI Purge: How Trump and Rollins are reshaping American agriculture
The Trump administration is decrying diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The move is hurting communities and undermining its own goals for agriculture.
A USDA trade report no longer explains its data. Now economists are raising transparency concerns
When agricultural economists look at the Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade – a quarterly report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – they expect two parts: data tables and a written analysis explaining those numbers.
USDA plan to move jobs out of D.C. and closer to farmers draws mixed reviews
A plan to disburse Washington-based USDA jobs to five hubs, including Kansas City and Indianapolis, is making waves across agriculture. Critics say the shakeup could hobble the agency, while proponents it will move staff closer to farmers and save money.