Trump Administration Cancels Millions in Agriculture Funding for Western States, Including Colorado Ranchers and Farmers

By Ishan Thakore

William Vogl grew up near a 600-acre cattle ranch in El Paso County, helping his parents raise beef cattle that they’d sell directly to customers. But in 2001, as an epic drought spread through Colorado, Vogl said part of his family’s ranch saw no rain for nine months. 

“I watched their cattle operation just come to a screeching halt and collapse,” he said. 

Vogl started his own homestead around 12 years ago, east of Colorado Springs, and became interested in “regenerative agriculture,” which can improve soil health and make farms more drought-resistant. 

“So that’s where it tied back to me being a kid, and watching what can happen,” he said of his attempt to build a more resilient farm in a climate-changed world.

Now, his small seven-acre operation supports around 100 sheep, who also graze on around 200 acres he leases. Vogl also has a burgeoning compost operation — he layers the compost over existing soil, which helps it absorb more water and nutrients. The results, he said, are “amazing.”

Droughts are becoming a persistent concern for Colorado farmers, as climate change drives water scarcity and extreme temperatures across the West. Plus, parts of Colorado have famously bad soil for farming  it’s sandy, silty and prone to erosion. The state has spent decades and millions of dollars investing in solutions since the devastating Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

With a federal grant administered through the Quivira Coalition, a regenerative agriculture and conservation nonprofit, Vogl planned to scale up his composting and scientifically measure how his soil is improving, to prove it could benefit small ranches like his. 

But in April, the United States Department of Agriculture abruptly cancelled that federal funding  known as the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities  calling it part of a “green new scam.” 

The program aimed to help farmers implement climate-friendly practices through funding and technical help. With a total budget of more than $3 billion, it awarded around $917 million to projects that include Colorado ranchers and farmers, according to a USDA dashboard.

Those dollars were split across 28 projects proposed by the state and over two dozen organizations across the West, including the Quivira Coalition. 

Leah Ricci, interim head of Quivira, said her group would still roll out a slimmed-down version of their grant and dip into their operating budget to pay for it. But Quivira cannot expand its program without additional federal money. 

Brooke Rollins, the USDA secretary, said in an April statement that “select projects” in the climate-smart program would continue, and that certain groups could reapply for funding under a rebranded version of the program. 

A USDA spokesperson did not provide detailed information about how many grants were terminated in Colorado and how many groups reapplied.