Trump’s Funding Freeze Creates Chaos and Financial Distress for Farmers
February 11, 2025 | Source: Civil Eats | by Lisa Held
Over the past year, farmer Zach Wolf traveled around New York’s Hudson Valley visiting farms that range in size from 20 to 400 acres. The farms produce a variety of fresh foods—from fruits and vegetables to nuts and grass-fed beef—that are mostly sold directly to the region’s residents.
At each stop, Wolf helped farmers determine how they could adopt new regenerative practices to build healthier soil and increase biodiversity. Over time, those practices can help improve farms’ environmental and financial resilience while potentially also pulling carbon out of the air.
Some of the farmers decided to plant more cover crops or adopt prescribed grazing plans for healthier pastures. Others planned to plant trees that would provide shade for animals or hedgerows to restore habitat for pollinators.