Judge Orders USDA to Restore Half of Cancelled Grants for Young Farmers
July 01, 2026 | Source: Civil Eats | by Rebekah Alvey
July 1, 2026 – A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to restore 24 grants under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program (ILCMA), which were cancelled in March.
The ILCMA program was created under the Biden administration to help first generation and beginning farmers access land and capital, a persistent barrier to young farmers. In total, 50 organizations, including farmer associations, universities, and tribes received five-year contracts through the program.
But 49 of those contracts were terminated in March as the Trump administration set out to eliminate alleged diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal grants.