Source: NBC News

Feb. 22, 2025, 7:00 AM EST

Farmers across the U.S. are struggling to make critical decisions ahead of the spring thaw, as billions of dollars in promised federal payments remain frozen by the Trump administration. Ang Roell, a farmer and beekeeper in Massachusetts, had planned to begin installing deer-proof fencing, mulch and an irrigation system for a recently planted orchard -- an initiative supported by more than $30,000 in federal grants that are now on hold.

Without that money, Roell worries that when the chestnut trees and elderberry bushes begin to sprout leaves in just a few weeks, there will be nothing to stop deer from chewing up the baby leaves. And Roell said the farm will struggle to keep the plants regularly watered and weeded without the infrastructure it had been counting on. "We risk losing the plants because we can't keep up with the watering schedule," Roell said. "The delay of time might not seem like a big deal for someone who is not a farmer. But it actually is."

On his first day of office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that paused the disbursement of all funds linked to former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which included $19.5 billion in agriculture-related conservation programs. The Trump administration also froze funds related to a separate $3.1 billion investment in "climate-smart" farm projects made under Biden.

The frozen funding was set to support projects including rotational grazing systems to improve soil health, waterways to reduce erosion, the installation of solar panels, and conversion from diesel to electric irrigation systems. Thousands of farmers have made plans and investments based on the promised funding, leaving some in financial peril, according to several groups that support farmers.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/farmers-federal-funding-freeze-trump-administration-scramble-respond-rcna191544