Washington, D.C. — 04/16/2026 – Today, more than 500 producers from across the country urged Congressional leaders to prioritize funding and staffing for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agency that delivers federal conservation programs to America’s farmers and ranchers. In addition to being highly popular and heavily subscribed to, these programs are voluntary, locally led, and empower farmers to invest in smart land management and regenerative agriculture practices that improve productivity, reduce input costs, and make their operations more resilient to droughts, floods, and supply chain shocks.
The letter to lawmakers comes at a critical moment for American agriculture as economic headwinds and policy gridlock in Congress are placing unprecedented strain on producers. Meanwhile, Congress continues to negotiate a long-overdue Farm Bill and annual appropriations that will determine the future of these programs.
“We write as farmers and ranchers who depend on USDA staff and offices in our communities, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA),” the producers wrote. “USDA personnel to help us manage risk, access conservation assistance, secure critical financing–ultimately helping to keep our operations viable.”
The producers went on to underscore their serious concerns with the significant staffing losses NRCS has suffered over the past year. A USDA Office of Inspector General review found that 20,306 USDA employees left between January and June 2025, including a 22% reduction at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). They noted that, while they are used to doing more with less, staffing losses mean longer wait times, delayed payments, reduced technical assistance, and fewer staff available to help navigate increasingly complex programs and situations that could be the difference for a family farm staying in business or closing its doors.
These staffing losses would be compounded by USDA’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which would cut Conservation Technical Assistance from $850,000,000 in 2026 to a request of $111,472,000 in 2027 – a reduction of $738.5 million. Per the budget document, the cut would lead to significant staff reductions for NRCS state offices. 46 out of 51 states would be left with fewer than 10 NRCS employees.
Proposed cuts for a number of key agricultural states are shown below:
| State | 2026 | 2027 | Cut |
| Arkansas | 56 | 8 | -86% |
| South Dakota | 53 | 8 | -85% |
| Iowa | 52 | 8 | -85% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 6 | -86% |
| Georgia | 43 | 6 | -86% |
| Louisiana | 37 | 5 | -87% |
| Colorado | 42 | 6 | -86% |
| Minnesota | 38 | 6 | -84% |
Furthermore, the version of the Farm Bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee proposes removing $1 billion from EQIP – which would undermine the historic provision passed and signed into law last year that significantly boosted federal funding long-term for conservation programs for American producers.
The producers continued, “At the same time, farmers and ranchers are facing unprecedented pressures. Input costs remain high, commodity markets are volatile, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and destructive. Even the best-run operations cannot manage these challenges alone. USDA programs are essential tools that help farmers and ranchers weather uncertainty, protect working lands, and maintain a stable food and agriculture system.”
The producers concluded, “Efficiency should mean better service for farmers and ranchers, not fewer people available to do the work. Cutting staffing without addressing growing demand risks creating bottlenecks that undermine the very programs farmers and ranchers rely on. A strong, farmer-first USDA requires adequate staffing, modern tools, and stable funding to meet the evolving, real-world needs of our producers. As Congress continues deliberations on the Farm Bill, agriculture assistance, and annual appropriations, we urge you to ensure we have a strong USDA that is fully staffed, funded, and equipped to serve American farmers and ranchers.”
You can read the full letter here and below:
Dear Chairs and Ranking Members,
We appreciate recent efforts by Congress and the Administration to strengthen long-term agricultural investments, including conservation funding and farmer-focused initiatives. However, funding alone does not solve delivery challenges. Programs cannot function effectively if USDA lacks the workforce needed to administer them.
We write to you in regards to appropriately funding and staffing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As you know, federal agricultural policy does not succeed or fail based solely on what is written into law. It succeeds or fails based on whether USDA has the people and resources needed to deliver programs to farmers and ranchers on the ground.
We write as farmers and ranchers who depend on USDA staff and offices in our communities, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). We rely on USDA personnel to help us manage risk, access conservation assistance, secure critical financing–ultimately helping to keep our operations viable.
USDA employees work directly with farmers and ranchers like us, walk our fields, process applications and payments, design conservation plans, administer disaster assistance, and ensure programs approved by Congress actually reach the producers they are intended to serve.
Recent staffing losses across USDA raise serious concerns. According to the USDA Office of the Inspector General, thousands of USDA staff positions were lost in 2025, including reductions of 22 percent at NRCS and 24 percent at the Farm Service Agency. We all are used to doing more with less, but for farmers and ranchers, staffing losses mean longer wait times, delayed payments, reduced technical assistance, and fewer staff available to help navigate increasingly complex programs and situations that could be the difference for a family farm staying in business or closing its doors.
At the same time, farmers and ranchers are facing unprecedented pressures. Input costs remain high, commodity markets are volatile, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and destructive. Even the best-run operations cannot manage these challenges alone. USDA programs are essential tools that help farmers and ranchers weather uncertainty, protect working lands, and maintain a stable food and agriculture system.
Efficiency should mean better service for farmers and ranchers, not fewer people available to do the work. Cutting staffing without addressing growing demand risks creating bottlenecks that undermine the very programs farmers and ranchers rely on. A strong, farmer-first USDA requires adequate staffing, modern tools, and stable funding to meet the evolving, real-world needs of our producers.
As Congress continues deliberations on the Farm Bill, agriculture assistance, and annual appropriations, we urge you to ensure we have a strong USDA that is fully staffed, funded, and equipped to serve American farmers and ranchers.
Thank you for your leadership and for your continued commitment to the farmers and ranchers who produce our nation’s food, fuel, and fiber.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Farmers and Ranchers
SIGNATORIES | 524 FARMERS AND RANCHERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The full list of signatories can be found here.
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Invest in Our Land is a nonpartisan organization committed to amplifying the voices of American farmers and ranchers and ensuring they have the tools and support they need to implement conservation practices that strengthen their operations, safeguard our natural resources, and secure the future of U.S. agriculture. Learn more at investinourland.org.
