Other Ag News: Comment: NSAC Condemns USDA’s Withdrawal of Support For Next Generation Farmers

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Comment: NSAC Condemns USDA’s Withdrawal of Support For Next Generation Farmers

Washington, DC, April 1, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following comment, attributable to Nick Rossi, NSAC Policy Specialist, in response to the termination of the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (ILCMA) Program.

“Reliable access to land, capital, and markets is among the biggest challenges facing beginning and other underserved farmers. USDA’s summary termination of investments to expand access to these crucial resources not only undercuts years of locally-led work to support the next generation of farmers, but entirely contradicts the administration’s stated goal of supporting American family farms and rural communities. Farmer-serving organizations have spent years hiring staff, building partnerships, and recruiting farmers, only to have their funding cut just as projects were preparing to launch. At such a pivotal moment for American agriculture, the decision to terminate these projects is reckless and puts the future of farming and farm  communities at further risk.”

Over the last decade, farmland prices have significantly increased, nearly doubling in some parts of the Midwest, and risen far higher in areas with pressure due to real estate development or commodity prices. The ability to access land is a crucial component of ensuring land remains in agriculture and that new farmers can build economically viable businesses. ILCMA was intended to help address this problem by increasing access to farm ownership opportunities, increasing access to markets and capital that affect the ability to access land, and increasing land ownership, land succession, and agricultural business planning. 

USDA terminated 49 of the 50 ILCMA projects; projects ranging from the creation of a Land Access and Farm Academy Program in the Southeast to projects improving access to affordable, geographically appropriate farmland and assistance with the removal of barriers to urban farmers participating in agricultural grant and loan programs in the Midwest. NSAC condemns this decision, which undermines creative solutions to some of our farmers’ most pressing challenges, setting back American farmers and the very future of our food system. Read more about the projects that USDA terminated here.

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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: https://sustainableagriculture.net

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