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Farmers Rising Leader on the Challenges Small Farmers Face
- Bob Benenson
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Sharing a Powerful Essay by Executive Director Jackie de Batista
Farmers Rising, based near Rockford in Caledonia, Illinois, is a leading farmer education non-profit. The team there teaches early-stage and beginning farmers about the challenges small farms face at a time when our food system is still dominated by large-scale corporate agriculture. They also learn more from the personal stories of program participants.
Executive Director Jackie de Batista is aptly positioned to understand the challenges facing these small farmers, because she is one herself. She unexpectedly took the reins at Irish Grove Farms, a regenerative livestock operation in Pecatonica, Illinois, 20 years ago when her father died at age 58. She runs the farm with husband Marcelo Batista while heading Farmers Rising.
Jackie shared a powerful essay in the most recent Farmers Rising newsletter — timed to Father's Day — about the challenges faced by farmers. These have been amplified by program cutbacks and cancellations by the current administration's U.S. Department of Agriculture, though Jackie says there is plenty of blame to go around for the failure of lawmakers to address the needs of the nation's small farms.
Jackie's essay is food for thought, and is shared below in its entirety.
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On my farm, we have a round barn. It’s unique, it’s stunning, it’s impractical as heck. It’s also inspired many a local to share the infamous round barn joke with me. “Did you know an old farmer went mad in this barn? He couldn’t find a corner to pee in.” Obviously the joke isn’t a knee-slapper, but I’ve heard it many times and it has a way of pulling me back to my childhood.
Which then makes me think about my dad, who we lost when he was only 58. His death was a tragedy on many levels, and it changed a lot. A LOT. Including the complete trajectory of my life.
Twenty years ago this spring, I lost my dad. Twenty years ago this spring, I became a farmer.
My dad was quite the character, and during my childhood he had many “classic Dad” phrases he used over and over again with me and my siblings. When shooting hoops with us in the driveway, he’d occasionally exclaim, “Ref’s out for a smoke!” and proceed to cheat. When cheering us on at a track meet or other sporting event, he’d remind us playfully, “If you unhook the plow, you’ll run faster!”
As kids we found this hilarious, at least most of the time. But there’s also a truth there that we can apply to farming. These days, in farming and food systems work, the proverbial plows are getting heavier while the refs are, indeed, out to smoke.
The plow I’m referring to in this letter is the USDA, and the refs out to smoke are Congress.
Over the past year plus, there have been many changes and challenges that we are monitoring and navigating to the best of our abilities. To be clear, no one including myself is holding up pre-2024 USDA as a bastion of progress and equal opportunity. Our food system has been broken and rigged to benefit the powerful, the privileged, and the wealthy since day one. And yet the recent changes at the USDA that have been brought about as one piece of what I’m calling the great undoing are extremely concerning.
Relevant to Farmers Rising and our ability to serve you, the USDA has cancelled or held back funding for crucial grant programs that support beginning and underserved farmers specifically, our target audience.
Funding for the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (IL EATS) and Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center was cancelled, immediately impacting our work as subcontractors to both programs. The Transitions to Organic Partnership Program, which we are subcontractors to, will be terminated one year early.
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), which has provided backbone funding to our farmer training program for over 15 years, was not opened for applications last year at all, and this year is allowing only 33 days to complete applications. BFRDP is a 3-year grant, and the application requires a 15-page narrative, plus another 10-20 pages of required documentation, letters of support, and contracts with external evaluators, and more.
The last time we applied, we spent 6 months planning our application and 3 months actively working on it. This year, organizations that are applying have 33 days.
Most concerning, however, are internal changes and requirements at the USDA. These changes remove the peer review process, taking granting decisions away from practitioners who deeply understand the farming community needs being addressed and giving them to political appointees who only care about whether the plans are aligned with the Administration’ s priorities.
And they appear intended to codify the exclusion of full groups of individuals who quite literally just want to raise good food to our collective benefit. New USDA grant terms and conditions language specifically states that, “By accepting the award, the recipient certifies that it does not, and will not during the term of the award, operate any programs that advance or promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in violation of Federal antidiscrimination laws.”
I want to be clear. Farmers Rising has always, and will continue to always, follow Federal anti-discrimination laws. We don’t have quotas, we don’t restrict program benefits to only certain groups, and quite frankly the vast majority of our participants are this Administration’s target audience.
We both love serving you and farming beside you, and we strive to reach a more diverse clientele. We need all of us, indeed many more of us, to be successful farmers. We want our participants to reflect the beautiful diversity represented in our community, and together we want to grow healthy food for our neighbors, friends and families.
We believe everyone who wants to farm should have the opportunity to farm. It’s really as simple as that.
For the reasons stated above, I’m spending a lot more time managing organizational risk and looking for alternative sources of funding. What I’m not doing is entertaining thoughts of giving in. If Farmers Rising can’t include everyone in our work then we don’t deserve to continue working. And let’s be very clear, our work is more important than ever:
Last year 315 farms declared bankruptcy, 121 of them right here in the Midwest–a 46% increase over 2024. - Indiana Public Media
The number of farmers over age 65 increased by 12% while there was only a 7% increase in farmers under 44 years old. - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
150,000 Illinois families were projected to lose access to food via SNAP cuts on May 1. - ABC Chicago
70% of farmers can’t afford to follow their original farm plans and will drop production. - Forbes
While I apologize for the seemingly political post, it’s really not at all about right vs. left, Republicans vs. Democrat. It’s about those in political power, represented by both political parties, versus the rest of us. They are coming at us from every angle, far beyond what I’ve mentioned today, and we must deepen our community engagement and mutual support in response.
We have to find a way to unhook this behemoth of a plow and get our refs back in the game.
I don’t know what to tell you and can’t make long-term promises. I have a growing pit in my stomach and bags under my eyes. I ask you to start or continue calling Congress and advocating for agriculture program funding and sanity every chance you can. Continue moving forward and doing what you can to strengthen your own farm and provide food to those in need.
And let’s keep our eyes squarely on our collective vision to build something new and better, together, that lifts up and honors our differences, holds regenerative and local farming at the forefront, and feeds our communities.
Last but not least, I want to raise a glass to the many awesome dads reading this letter, with sincere hopes you can enjoy a lovely day and be celebrated for all you bring to your family and community. As for me and my colorful father who I know is with me in spirit every single day, and especially on the farm, a deep bow of gratitude and hearty cheers to you. Thanks for the love, the laughs, and the lessons.
Jackie De Batista, Executive Director, Farmers Rising