"I thought it would be easier by now." So says Jacob Thomas of the 10 years he and wife Jennifer have spent farming land in northeast Kansas. Their 70-year-old family farm—spanning 15 acres of vegetables and over 500 acres for hay and livestock—relies in part on farmers markets and federal programs to stay afloat. This year, the couple absorbed an $8,000 loss—a 10% hit to them—after the Trump administration cut $1 billion from a pair of federal programs that routed locally grown and raised produce and meat to schools and food banks. A separate $750,000 federal agriculture grant they planned to use to build a warehouse that would allow them to expand their business was paused.
Though the grant was later reinstated, construction costs have since gone up and the building timeline has changed, putting the project "in limbo," writes Annie Gowen for the Washington Post. Gowen touches on the underlying political tension: Many in this Republican-leaning area voted for Trump and are feeling frustrated by the administration's moves and, in the case of Thomas, let down by their own local congressmen.
"Historically, if you got a government contract, we're golden, because the government always pays," Jacob said. "For the first time in my life, I don't trust the government is going to follow through on their word." The family's woes are spilling out of the financial realm: Gowen notes Jacob started treatment for depression and anxiety last fall; "financial insecurity makes my depression worse," he says. Jennifer now avoids discussing finances in front of their two young daughters. (Read the full story here.) (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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