Government Shutdown and Federal Challenges: Impacts on Our Farmers
Last updated on November 13, 2025
We’re officially out of the 43-day-long government shutdown, the longest in history.
We got here because Congress did not pass its annual 12 appropriations bills by the end of the fiscal year for the government (September 30). The House passed a continuing resolution on September 19; however, the Senate has voted on this legislation 14 times, and it has continued to not pass.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is a community of sustainable and organic farmers, handlers, producers, and consumers. The challenges faced by those in our network are unique to diversified and usually small or mid-scale farms. Therefore, the recent government shutdown, USDA staffing changes, future healthcare premium increases, and other events have specific implications on the businesses of these land stewards.
Where We’re Currently At
On November 10, the Senate passed a new deal to reopen the government. The House of Representatives passed it on November 12, and President Trump signed it into law later that evening.
The new legislation will keep the government funded through January 2026. It includes a year-long farm bill extension for programs not included in the budget reconciliation bill this summer, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) FY2026 appropriations bills.
Since the appropriations bills are largely not even out of committee (aside from those mentioned above), Congress still has a lot of work ahead to avoid another government shutdown at the end of January.
The SNAP Situation
For the first time in history, benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lapsed. This situation is very unpredictable and unprecedented.
- In late October, two federal judges ruled that the Trump Administration must use the SNAP contingency fund Congress provided for supplementing benefits during emergencies to partially fund SNAP. There continue to be back-and-forth actions on this, which leaves a lot of uncertainty for communities that rely on this food assistance.
- Ohio Governor DeWine signed Executive Order 2025-06D, providing up to $25 million to families affected by a lapse in SNAP funding. However, what is provided by the state and what is provided by the federal government will need to be adjusted. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services posted this update on November 10 about incoming benefits.
- The USDA sent a recent reminder stating that SNAP retailers “cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer.” However, many communities are stepping up to help keep their neighbors fed.
- Now, with the government open, communities should receive full SNAP benefits promptly.
SNAP and Small-Scale Farming
SNAP provides benefits that go far beyond supporting the food needs of benefit recipients. In large part, that is because SNAP benefits are an economic multiplier.
- SNAP benefits generate up to $1.80 in economic activity for every $1 spent. Accepting SNAP benefits gives farmers’ market vendors access to a new pool of customers, who brought in more than $446,360 in SNAP benefits at Ohio farmers’/farm markets in 2020.
SNAP helps keep families fed—and it helps keep farmers farming, while strengthening our local food economy. The lapse in benefits not only disrupts millions of households but also threatens the economic well-being of farmers and our local communities.
USDA Staffing
Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a major internal overhaul encompassing large voluntary workforce reductions, relocation of key staff, and restructuring of its mission and operations.
- Since January 2025, more than 20,000 staff have departed the agency, including about 18 percent of local staff in Ohio.
- The USDA’s four major research agencies have lost about 25 percent of their staff, with losses also impacting the agency’s legal oversight, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and conservation programming, to name a few.
Against the backdrop of the government shutdown, with most of the USDA’s functions remaining closed, the USDA reopened some 2,100 FSA offices, with a maximum of two staff at each to oversee the rollout of farmer aid, farm loan processing, and ARC/PLC payments. Unfortunately, these traditional farm safety net programs fall short of the support many OEFFA farmers need right now. We also recognize that with the reductions of USDA staff across the board, there may be many cases where local FSA staff are not there and/or are severely understaffed.
USDA employees who were furloughed during the shutdown are now expected to be back at work. They should receive full back pay as soon as November 20.
Conservation Program Funding
USDA staffing shortages and the government shutdown have all but halted conservation program funding for farmers, many of whom were already affected by the federal funding freeze earlier this year.
- At the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), nearly 96 percent of employees are furloughed, following the departure of one in four NRCS staff earlier in the year.
- According to the agency’s shutdown plans, key operational activities like processing contract payments and assisting with conservation planning activities are stopped during a shutdown.
As we’ve heard from producers who have responded to our 2025 Federal Actions Survey, many in our community are waiting on contract payments and reimbursements, and have no NRCS staff to communicate with to get much-needed updates and guidance on conservation practices.
No New Farm Bill
Our farm and food system relies on farm bill programs that haven’t been updated in seven years. The agricultural provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act do NOT meet the needs of many OEFFA farmers, who deserve a modern farm bill after the latest one expired for a third time on September 30.
A new farm bill extension was included in the package to reopen the government. We are actively reviewing this legislation and communicating with our national partners and members of Congress our concerns and inquiries.
Looming Health Insurance Concerns
Rural and farming communities could be hit hardest by a steep jump in 2026 health insurance premiums. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies have made expenses more bearable for millions of households, but are set to expire at the end of the year. This was a sticking point behind the government shutdown, and was not part of the package to reopen the government.
- Roughly 27 percent of farmers rely on ACA health insurance, compared with just 8 percent of the general population. Without the tax credit, a hypothetical farm family making around $87,000 a year could see their monthly premium triple from about $630 in 2025 to a whopping $1,803 in 2026.
Farm families are rightfully concerned about their own projected 2026 healthcare costs. They’re equally worried about their employees who rely on the ACA marketplace and may be driven away to different work with better benefits once the tax subsidies are gone.
What We’re Hearing
We’ve received many stories from our community about issues with USDA contracts, difficulties with seasonal labor, and concerns that farmer assistance packages will not support mid and small-scale farms and only benefit large commodity farms. Organic farmers and certification agencies in particular are lacking support amidst a closed National Organic Program office and a cancelled fall National Organic Standards Board meeting, which is one of the only times organic farmers can advocate for their needs.
While all of this is going on, there are other impending decisions that affect agricultural communities. OEFFA farmers are experiencing a lot of uncertainty around tariffs, disaster assistance support, and more—all while coming to the end of harvest season. We will continue to keep this page updated with any major changes. As always, please reach out to our team with any questions, comments, or concerns (policy@oeffa.org).