Judge Orders USDA to Restore Half of Cancelled Grants for Young Farmers

The agency must now restore $127 million in federal contracts through the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program. The agency must now restore $127 million in federal contracts through the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program. July 1, 2026 July 1, 2026 – A federal court has ordered the Trump administration to restore 24 grants under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program (ILCMA), which were cancelled in March. Expand your understanding of food systems as a Civil Eats member. Enjoy unlimited access to our groundbreaking reporting, engage with experts, and connect with a community of changemakers. Already a member? Login The ILCMA program was created under the Biden administration to help first generation and beginning farmers access land and capital, a persistent barrier to young farmers. In total, 50 organizations, including farmer associations, universities, and tribes received five-year contracts through the program. But 49 of those contracts were terminated in March as the Trump administration set out to eliminate alleged diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal grants. Twenty-four of them were added to a 2025 lawsuit overseen by Earthjustice, Farmers Justice Center, FarmSTAND and the Southern Environmental Law Center. On Tuesday, D.C. District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered the USDA start the process of restoring $127 million in grant payments by July 3. “The LCM program is the largest public investment in land access in our nation’s history, and the only program designed to holistically address the challenges young and underserved producers face,” Amanda Koehler, young farmer and manager of the Land, Capital, and Market Access Network, said in a press release. “In the face of a land-access crisis, aging agricultural community, and fragile farm economy, our government should be fighting for next-generation producers, not illegally dismantling the programs they depend on.” Since the initial 2025 lawsuit, FarmSTAND has found the Trump administration did a simple search in grant documents for words tied to DEI or climate change to select contracts for termination. The plaintiffs allege this process violates the Administrative Procedure Act. (Link to this post.) July 7, 2026 This ruling empowers the movement to stop pesticide companies from causing harm. June 29, 2026 June 29, 2026 Like the story? Join the conversation.