How Nonprofits Are Shoring Up Support for Farmers and Climate Solutions Amid Federal Funding Uncertainties

In Iowa, many organizations are feeling the impact of a federal review process that’s delaying grants. This slowdown is restricting their ability to support farmers and conservation efforts. One of these organizations is Practical Farmers of Iowa, which engages over 9,000 members nationwide. Their focus is on farmer education, research, and providing both technical and financial assistance.

“Our mission is to empower farmers to create resilient farms and communities,” said Sally Worley, the executive director of Practical Farmers of Iowa. Currently, nearly 25% of PFI’s budget relies on federal grants that are now on hold due to the review process.

Worley points out that this freeze affects legally bound contracts they had already signed. “Twenty-two percent of our budget is significant. We need to cut waste in government, but freezing these funds hurts our planning and operations,” she explained.

One specific area of concern for PFI is the freeze on funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. This grant supports their cover crop cost-share program, which helped over 2,300 farmers plant more than 800,000 acres of cover crops last year. Other grants also help fund their outreach events and farmer-led research trials.

Worley mentioned that tracking the status of these funds is challenging. “There’s a lot of uncertainty with $4.7 million in our budget,” she said, noting that the organization has to plan for various scenarios due to the funding freeze.

Another organization facing similar challenges is the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN). Board co-chair Morgan Bradley noted that they support 1,500 women and gender-marginalized individuals, providing them with vital resources and mentorship.

WFAN is also waiting to see how its future funding will unfold. They depend heavily on federal funding, including the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

Bradley expressed concerns about the difficulties farmers already face. “With less support from the USDA, especially as they prepare for the planting season, many will struggle to stay in farming,” she said, highlighting the specific challenges faced by small farmers, women farmers, and farmers of color.

The Iowa Environmental Council, the state’s oldest environmental coalition with around 100 member organizations, is also impacted. Executive director Sarah Green stated that their work over the past 30 years has focused on clean water and energy, with recent federal grants aiding their new climate initiatives program.

Green mentioned that the IEC budgeted for $500,000 from four federal grants for 2025, but one grant supporting underserved communities has been suspended. “It puts the communities we support in jeopardy,” she explained. In the last year and a half, they had worked with over 40 communities to tackle environmental pollution challenges. Now that reimbursement for activities past February 20 has been denied, they are left in a precarious position.

Green is developing contingency plans to ensure their work continues. She stressed that local donors and foundations can’t fill every gap left by federal funding cuts, leaving many nonprofits and communities in a tough spot.

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