Nov. 16, 2023 www.investigatemidwest.org Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Black farm family denied USDA aid years ago and now
In the 1990s, the USDA reached a landmark settlement with Black farmers who had been systematically denied financial support. Despite tens of thousands of claims under the Pigford settlement, only a few hundred farmers received relief.
The Johnson family applied for Pigford money, but were denied. Recently, the family applied for another kind of federal aid run by the USDA, one aimed at fighting climate change. It was denied again.
Despite the Biden administration calling the aid a "linchpin" in its climate strategy, few farmers have received financial assistance to help the country meet its climate goals, an analysis by the Gazette, Investigate Midwest and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk shows.
— Sky Chadde, assistant editor/senior reporter
Conservation programs offer solutions to climate threats, but are vastly underfunded
By Erin Jordan, The Gazette, Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest/Report for America
The Biden administration has called several USDA conservation programs significant in the nation’s climate strategy, yet they remain vastly underfunded.
Just three out of 10 landowner applications for the two main programs, the Environmental Quality and Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), were approved between 2018 and 2022. The majority of landowners are told to try again without advice on how to improve their odds.
Read more.
GRAPHIC: On top of billions in USDA pandemic aid, farmers got $5.8 billion in PPP loans
By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
A significant amount of pandemic assistance to farmers came from a non-USDA source: the Paycheck Protection Program.
See the graphic.
OPINION: Just another shambolic Farm Bill
By Dave Dickey, Columnist
The 2023 Farm Bill won't be that, writes Dave Dicky in his latest column, because it will get attention again in 2024 (with hope).
He writes: "The Farm Bill four horsemen — House Agriculture committee chair G.T. Thompson, House Ag committee ranking member David Scott, Senate Agriculture chair Debbie Stabenow and Senate Ag committee ranking member John Boozman – have finally come around to a viewpoint that’s been obvious to all for the last several months: President Joe Biden won’t be signing a new Farm Bill this year, and an extension will be needed to prevent support for dairy and other programs from going belly up early next year."
Read more.
Thank you for coming to our Iowa City event on Nov. 9!
About 50 people attended the "Discovery in Disguise" storytelling event at Poindexter Coffee in the Graduate Iowa City hotel to support Investigate Midwest and its IowaWatch newsroom.
This year the $1,000-plus donations from the Nov. 9 event will be tripled, thanks to the NewsMatch program and a match from The Joyce Foundation. Go here to support the end-of-year giving campaign. (Reminder: Giving Tuesday is coming!)
We are grateful to:
- The attendees (top photo).
- Storytellers Lea Collins, David Ewing, Miriam Alarcón Avila (in photo), Rob Merritt and Nick Westergaard.
- University of Iowa event management students (group photo).
- Sponsors Dr. Suzanne Stock, Hills Bank, and the University of Iowa school of Journalism and Mass Communication.
- Host Charity Nebbe of Iowa Public Radio.
- And the Graduate Hotel.
Related news from our partners
US regulators order Minnesota to clean up nitrate contaminated water By Circle of Blue
How does climate change threaten where you live? By Grist
