May 15, 2025 The Midwest Center For Investigative Reporting
A lifeline lost: Trump's cuts threaten agriculture communities
Despite President Donald Trump's vocal support for American farmers, his administration is dismantling a federal agency designed to bolster their communities. The USDA's Rural Development agency, a crucial lifeline for rural America, faces deep staffing cuts, jeopardizing essential projects and services.
This week, Investigate Midwest's Sky Chadde exposes how these cuts threaten the survival of communities grappling with population loss and dwindling resources. From health care access to broadband internet, the agency's support is vital for farmers and their families.
Trump made significant staffing cuts to Rural Development during his first term as he removed one-third of the agency’s 6,000 employees. In February, the Trump administration fired another 500 agency officials.
Sky’s story includes the perspective of former Rural Development officials who spoke about their agency's critical work and why it’s necessary for the nation’s agriculture industry.
For example, Rural Development recently helped fund a new hospital in rural southwest Oklahoma.
“Farming is one of the most dangerous careers you can have, and you have to have emergency care and hospitals,” said Bette Brand, who led the agency during Trump’s first term. “You have to have places where people can have babies and not have to think that their hospital is three or four hours away. That infrastructure to allow farmers and families to thrive in an area to grow our food is so important.”
— Ben Felder, editor in chief
DATA HARVEST: US farmland continues folding to foreign-owned interests
By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest
Nearly every state in the country has seen an increase in foreign interests owning farmland since 2014, according to USDA data.
Foreign countries and interests own more than 45 million acres of farmland in the country, which accounts for just over 3% of the nation’s private farmland, but the number of agricultural acres owned by foreign interests increased by 67% from 2014 to 2023.
View the graphics here.
OPINION: It’s past time for SCOTUS to rule on ag-gag laws
By Dave Dickey, Columnist
Big Meat is at it again. Begging the courts – any court – to carve out a First Amendment exemption that would prevent trespassers at processing plants and production facilities from recording and disseminating illegal or unethical activity.
To date the Supreme Court hasn’t been sympathetic with Big Meat’s plight.
Read more here.
ICYMI: Oklahoma’s farmland fears don’t match the data
By Ben Felder, Investigate Midwest
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and others have blamed Chinese companies and cartels for a spike in foreign land ownership, often linking it to marijuana farms. But USDA records show most new foreign-owned land in Oklahoma is tied to Canadian and European energy companies. Not China. Our 2023 story breaks it down. And our new Data Harvest this week shows just how much foreign-held ag land has surged across the country since 2014.
Read more.
Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public as a watchdog over influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.
