Red state farmers left reeling after Trump 'demolished' key agency

In three presidential elections in a row, Donald Trump generally performed well among farmers — especially in red states. But according to the New York Times, problems with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are a source of growing worry and frustration for struggling farmers.

"Across the country," reporter Linda Qiu explains in the Times, "farmers and rural residents describe struggling to obtain the basic services the Agriculture Department is meant to offer, including loans and grants, technical assistance and financing for housing and utilities. Sharp attrition under the Trump administration, largely through voluntary resignations and dismissals by the Department of Government Efficiency, have left many of the Agriculture Department's local offices with skeletal staffing — and, in some counties, with no one at all."

According to Qiu, the Trump administration's "mission of shrinking the federal bureaucracy" has "undercut a competing priority: delivering for farmers, a core political constituency."

Sen. Pete Welch (D-Vermont) is among the lawmakers who is sounding the alarm about the problems farmers are facing with the USDA.

Welch told the Times, "All these practical things that make the wheels go around in a community were facilitated by USDA, and it was with staff who knew how to navigate and had the trust of the local community. It's something that was working, was working well, and was very cost-efficient. And now, it is being demolished."

The Trump administration describes USDA budget cuts as trimming fat and bureaucracy from the agency, which goes back to 1862. But according to Qiu, the cuts are so deep that the agency is struggling to deliver vital services to farmers.

"Overall, more than 20,000 workers out of more than 110,000 left the Agriculture Department through the first half of 2025, according to an inspector general report," Qiu reports. "Recently obtained data showed that the Farm Service Agency, a division whose approval the Bens sought in applying for a low-interest loan, has no staff left in dozens of counties across the country, forcing farmers to travel long distances for assistance or to simply give up. Among divisions that directly work with farmers and aid rural residents, the percentage of departures is even higher. The Agriculture Department said that it currently had about 93,000 employees after hiring more workers this year, and that it believed staffing levels were adequate as 'services and supports have become more targeted and efficient' through planned technological improvements. Still, its plans to fundamentally overhaul the agency, as well as funding cuts proposed by President Trump's latest budget, are likely to deepen difficulties for farmers and rural communities."