Everybody Eats Together

# - The Biden era $300 million farm program has been abruptly canceled by the USDA, cutting off grants designed to help underserved farmers, especially Black and Indigenous producers, secure land and resources.

Why does this matter? The program was a lifeline for many who’ve been historically locked out of farming opportunities. It aimed to increase access to land, capital, and markets for those who face systemic barriers, including racial discrimination. Now, with the funds pulled, those who could’ve benefitted from this support are left with fewer options to grow their businesses or even hold onto the land they already farm.

The USDA’s decision to cancel the program has drawn criticism from farm advocates who argue that it’ll disproportionately hurt marginalized farmers. The reasoning? The program had been tied to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which some claim were a form of “discriminatory preferences.” With the current administration focusing on reducing DEI-related spending, this move is part of a broader push to scale back these kinds of initiatives across federal agencies.

What’s at stake here? If we keep cutting programs that support historically excluded groups, we’re only deepening the gap between those who have access to land and resources and those who don’t. The big question is: how much longer will we allow policy decisions to ignore the people who’ve been left behind for so long?