Farming Has Never Been Easy
This winter and early spring has been a stressful time. The ever evolving and changing situation with tariffs that promise to impact agriculture heavily have added tension and drama to the past couple of months. The overall economic forecast looks cloudy, at least in the short term. The changes in Federal policy and the funding landscape for sustainable agriculture have been rapid and unpredictable. Programs supporting farmers and rural communities have been eliminated or held up for review. These cuts have already impacted the Kansas Rural Center, as one of our Federally supported projects providing outreach and grant writing support to Kansas communities has been terminated. We have other projects that have been paused or are in stages of review.
One major loss is the elimination of the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs, which would have brought millions of dollars into Kansas to support local farms by purchasing food for those in need and school children. These programs held the promise of strengthening local farms, helping them access wholesale markets. Last year, the State of Kansas appropriated additional money to support the local food purchasing and that has also been cut. Other cuts to so many other programs, like the elimination of the Climate Smart Commodities Program will limit the expansion of more sustainable agricultural practices across the landscape. The cuts to USDA staff, especially those in local offices across Kansas, like Natural Resource Conservation Service staff will limit the ability of farmers to do things like implement needed conservation practices and access other supports. Beyond agriculture, the projected budget cuts to critical safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid would have deep ripples across our communities into the future. There are really so many challenges that it is overwhelming.
Farming has never been easy. Even in the best years, it demands resilience, faith, and a willingness to face the unknown. In these trying times, the stress can feel overwhelming. For producers seeking support, I encourage you to visit KansasAgStress.org, a valuable resource for navigating mental health and stress in agriculture.
While this spring has been stressful, spring to me is always a season of hope. As seeds are planted, crops emerge, flowers bloom, and trees leaf out, I am reminded of the possibility of new beginnings. As the natural world around us awakens, I encourage you all to look for hope in this season too. I found hope in a particularly inspiring meeting recently at the University of Kansas, the Great Plains LandBack Leadership Summit. It was a daylong exploration of the concept of LandBack, efforts to return lands to Tribal control and stewardship. Hearing about the work being done by Tribes in and around Kansas to reclaim, protect, and care for ancestral lands was deeply inspiring. These efforts honor not only the history of Indigenous peoples but also the ecosystems and non-human life that call these lands home. At the Kansas Rural Center, we believe that building a sustainable and just future requires restoring right relationships with both the land and its people. In the midst of widespread uncertainty, it is heartening to witness the determination and vision of those working toward that future.