Michigan Farmer Blames Trump Administration's DOGE Program for Frozen USDA Grant
Farmers across the U.S. face uncertainty after a federal labor grant program is unexpectedly paused without explanation.
LEELANAU COUNTY, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan farmer says her family farm is facing financial hardship after the federal government unexpectedly froze a grant program aimed at helping American farmers hire legal migrant workers.
Becky Carlson, who operates a 1,300-acre farm with her husband in Leelanau County, says she received approval for a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant in January that was intended to fund housing and transportation for migrant laborers. But in March, Carlson learned through another grant recipient — not the government — that the program had been quietly frozen nationwide.
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“No one from the government notified us,” Carlson said. “We invested over $250,000 to meet the grant’s requirements, and now we don’t know if we’ll ever be reimbursed.”
The USDA grant was designed to support farms struggling to find domestic labor. Carlson explained that rural Michigan offers few local workers willing to take on long hours and physically demanding harvest jobs. She said her farm currently employs just a handful of seasonal workers and that she and her family will now have to fill in the gaps — including her 16-year-old son and elderly father.
Carlson said her farm is one of many across the U.S. now scrambling without the expected funding. “Some farms will go bankrupt if this grant isn’t reinstated,” she said.
She’s reached out to both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Jack Bergman, but says communication from Washington has been sparse.
“This isn’t political,” Carlson said. “It’s about keeping farms running. We provide food for the country. We just want answers — and the support we were promised.”
The USDA has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
We all knew DOGE was going to hurt us. As much as we want the government pork cleaned out and that money put where it will best support American businesses. Someone forgot that farmers are our first and longest running business. They didn't leave us for cheaper labor and less government intervention. They have stayed and weathered all kinds of storm and strife. They need to still be supported, especially if they have held up their end of the bargain. MAGA by supporting farmers.