USDA Pulls Grants for Iowa Farm Programs Days Before Funds Were Set to Arrive

State leaders criticize the move as 'woke' and say they're working to expand land access in other ways.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 10:52pm

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A serene, cinematic painting of a lone tractor or farmhouse in a rural Iowa landscape, with warm sunlight casting deep shadows across the scene, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation about the future of agriculture in the state.The USDA's decision to pull funding for programs supporting the next generation of Iowa farmers has raised concerns about the government's commitment to addressing the challenges facing new and underrepresented agricultural producers.Grinnell Today

Two Iowa organizations say they were blindsided when a previously approved U.S. Department of Agriculture grant aimed at helping expand access to farmland was pulled just before funding was set to be delivered. The move has frustrated advocates who say preparing the next generation of farmers is becoming increasingly urgent, with over 60% of Iowa farmland owned by people over 65 and less than 5% owned by those under 44.

Why it matters

As Iowa's farm population continues to age, programs that support first-generation and young farmers are seen as crucial to ensuring the future of agriculture in the state. The USDA's decision to pull funding for these initiatives at the last minute has raised concerns about the government's commitment to addressing the challenges facing new and underrepresented farmers.

The details

The Iowa Food Systems Coalition and the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) were set to receive the USDA grants, which were intended to help expand access to farmland and support alternative farming models beyond traditional large-scale operations. However, the grants were pulled just days before the funds were scheduled to be distributed, leaving the organizations scrambling. SILT leaders said the news drove employees to tears, while the Iowa Valley Executive Director argued that the current system often favors traditional, large-scale growers who export most of their products.

  • The USDA grants were previously approved but pulled just days before the funds were set to be distributed.

The players

Tommy Hexter

A member of the Iowa Food Systems Coalition who grew up on a farm in Virginia and has considered returning to farm life in Iowa, but said getting started is 'really challenging' due to the high costs of land and capital.

Jason Grimm

The Executive Director of Iowa Valley, which runs a program called the New Century Farm Fellowship that works to help first-generation and young farmers navigate the barriers to entering the industry.

Zach Nunn

A U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district who has worked on other efforts to address land access, including winning provisions in a proposed farm bill to cut the experience requirement to qualify for a USDA loan to just one year.

Chuck Grassley

A U.S. Senator from Iowa whose office criticized the USDA grant, calling it a 'Biden-era DEI program' and arguing that it is 'discriminatory to base federal support off a farmer's race or gender'.

Mike Naig

The Iowa Secretary of Agriculture who acknowledged the difficulty new farmers face and said state programs like Choose Iowa are designed to support those operations.

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What they’re saying

“The increased cost of land and the capital required to farm are huge barriers. And those prices involved in getting into the current system are really challenging to overcome.”

— Tommy Hexter, Member, Iowa Food Systems Coalition

“Many people think farming is just like knowledge that gets passed down from generation and generation, and that is not the case anymore. So there needs to be actual educational programs or curriculum to help them launch their business.”

— Jason Grimm, Executive Director, Iowa Valley

“If you aren't in corporate agriculture, raising corn, soybeans and stuff like that, other alternative models or business models aren't taken seriously.”

— Jason Grimm, Executive Director, Iowa Valley

What’s next

Rep. Zach Nunn has said he will continue working on bipartisan, long-term solutions to address land access issues for new and underrepresented farmers, including through provisions in the upcoming farm bill.

The takeaway

The USDA's decision to pull funding for programs that support the next generation of Iowa farmers has sparked outrage and concerns about the government's commitment to addressing the challenges facing new and underrepresented agricultural producers. As the state's farm population ages, these initiatives are seen as crucial to ensuring the future of agriculture in Iowa.