Harvests in Limbo: How the 2025 Federal Shutdown Strains Farmers Across America

America’s farmers find themselves in a similar position in 2025 as they did in 2018: parts of the federal government have temporarily shut down because of D.C. disagreement. And farmers will lose access to some critical services for their operations with no idea how long they will have to wait.

The shutdown began on Wednesday. This time, it is primarily driven by Democrats in Congress who are trying to restore some of the cuts to health care that Republicans, who hold the majority of seats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, plan to carry out as part of the directives from the Trump administration.

The 2018 shutdown was primarily because President Donald Trump insisted that Republicans in Congress include funding to build a wall across the southern United States. Trump had promised taxpayers when he campaigned in 2016 that Mexico would pay for the wall.

The standoff ended after 35 days when Trump gave up on his demands for border wall funding.

The latest shutdown comes during harvest time for many producers and could once again cause angst about delayed payments, suspended loans, and uncertainty about operations.

Federal Shutdown Causes USDA Furloughs and Program Suspensions

The USDA already lost a sizeable share of its workforce after the Trump administration took over in January. The agency’s workforce previously numbered about 100,000.

The partial federal shutdown will furlough nearly half of the 42,000 remaining personnel. 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) will lose 2/3rds of its 9,000 employees. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will lose about 95% of its staff.

USDA temporary cuts mean that you will lose access to the agency’s market data and crop reports, which will serve as reminders to those who question the value of some government services.

Applications for rural housing loans, marketing assistance, and other rural development programs will stop.

RELATED: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will have to navigate the strains of the partial federal government shutdown.

Some Payments Will Stop to Farmers During Federal Shutdown

The congressional inaction will also mean that scheduled payments for farm programs like ARC/PLC, conservation programs, and disaster aid won’t go out to those counting on it.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Policy Director Mike Lavender warned about the repercussions of the partial shutdown: 

“In a challenging moment for farmers and the farm economy, the government shutdown will further destabilize – and in some cases stop – federal services that offer critical loans, disaster assistance, conservation funding, and more. The shutdown also threatens food safety, leaving states on the hook to fund food safety inspections once their cooperative agreements expire.

With nearly half of all US Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff furloughed, farmers can expect limited services and delayed payments. These disruptions will worsen with time and be exacerbated if the Administration implements a ‘reduction-in-force’ plan to fire more USDA employees. NSAC encourages Congress and the President to set-aside finger pointing and work toward an agreement that brings stability to farmers and the communities they call home.”

RELATED: Two years ago when he was still serving as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack explained why tracking foreign ownership of American farmland could be difficult.