HARRISBURG, Pa. — Rob Dunning was expecting a new fence to be installed this month at his Bangor sheep dairy — paid for by a federal grant.
However, because of a freeze on federal funding instituted by President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, Dunning has had to use money already budgeted for a different project.
“We’ve got to keep the business going,” Dunning, owner of Raspberry Ridge Creamery, said. “We have actually already purchased a reduced version of our fence and had it installed.
“Those funds were moved from a different project, which was going to increase our milking system. So we’re not going to be able to experience the growth and, ultimately, the revenue that we had hoped would have been possible with the assistance with the fence.”
Dunning was among several speakers Wednesday at a virtual town hall held by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.
The event focused on the current freeze on U.S. Department of Agriculture grants earmarked for farmers implementing climate-smart production practices, as well as how farmers could advocate for change.
While the total number of participants was unclear, several dozen people introduced themselves in the webinar’s chat, and officials noted "several 100 people show[ed] up."
“We need to let policy-makers know that there are real farms and real communities behind these funding freezes, not just numbers on a ledger."Lindsey Shapiro, a Pasa Farm Bill campaign organizer and famer
There were farmers from the Lehigh Valley and across the commonwealth, as well as from New York, Delaware, Maine and Vermont.
Highlighting the real-world impacts of the freeze are “critical components of advocacy,” said Lindsey Shapiro, a Pasa Farm Bill campaign organizer and farmer.
“We need to let policymakers know that there are real farms and real communities behind these funding freezes, not just numbers on a ledger,” Shapiro said.
‘Farmers are frustrated’
Pasa in 2022 was awarded a $55 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant.
The funding was earmarked for farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners to implement climate-smart production practices — not only in Pennsylvania, but across much of the East Coast.
Those practices are designed to build soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, enhance productivity and build revenue.
The award was increased to $59 million in December — “to some degree a testament to how well we were carrying out the program,” Pasa Executive Director Hannah Smith-Brubaker said.
“And so, understandably thinking we could go into the spring season supporting millions of dollars in contracts for farmers, to then have those dollars be frozen is frustrating, to say the least.
"I know we’re frustrated, and the farmers are frustrated — in some cases, really devastated.”
Local farmers scrambling
Through the USDA program, nonprofits such as Pasa distributed funding to farmers directly, including in the Lehigh Valley.
However, that funding now is frozen, leaving local farmers scrambling at the start of the growing season.
"We have employees about to have babies, employees who just bought houses, employees who were planning on getting married, all because of the stability of what was to be a five-year grant backed by the federal government.”Pasa Executive Director Hannah Smith-Brubaker
Almost $13,000 in approved funds for Lehigh County farmers now are frozen, and $71,000 in Northampton County.
Pasa officials argue they’re owed more than $3 million in outstanding reimbursements from the federal government.
Last week, the organization joined a lawsuit against Trump and DOGE to restore the funding.
The lawsuit, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Public Rights Project in South Carolina District Court, includes six other organizations and five major cities.
“It’s not a lawsuit to file for any particular amount of money, but rather to get the funds to be released,” Smith-Brubaker said.
Because of the lack of funding, Pasa said it will furlough 60 staff members next week.
“It’s very hard for me to talk about that, because every one of our employees is an individual with their life, their family,” Smith-Brubaker said.
“We have employees about to have babies, employees who just bought houses, employees who were planning on getting married, all because of the stability of what was to be a five-year grant backed by the federal government.”
‘Farmer storytelling’
Action can look different from person to person, said Priscilla Ruilova, a farmer engagement coordinator with Pasa.
“It can be something as simple as becoming informed about what’s going on in your local community, or in your state,” Ruilova said.
“Storytelling is really the best way, I think, to make our voices heard. Because nobody can argue that your story, that your individual experience, is wrong because it’s honest."Priscilla Ruilova, a farmer engagement coordinator with Pasa
“Or if you feel intensely motivated by what we’re seeing that’s going on in the federal government right now to act more energetically, then there’s opportunities for that as well.”
Organization officials are “hoping to apply pressure” to decision-makers such as U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture; U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins; and U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
"This is what they look like, and these are the people you can direct your asks to," she said.
It's launched a Google Form with a letter to Rollins, calling for the continuation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program.
It's collecting sign-ons from project directors, partners and farmers.
The deadline to sign is end-of-day Thursday.
Pasa also is collecting stories from farmers affected by the freeze.
“Storytelling is really the best way, I think, to make our voices heard," Ruilova said. "Because nobody can argue that your story, that your individual experience, is wrong because it’s honest."
Pasa has launched a story collection campaign.
“We plan to collect all of these stories, whichever ones you allow us to, because you can also submit stories anonymously, and create a sort of booklet,” Ruilova said.
“So we can then send them or go in person and share them with Rep. Thompson and Brooke Rollins, in an effort for them to see, all at once, the amount of stories and the impact that the federal funding freeze has had on farmers in our network.”
