By Blake Jackson
USDA Rural Development plays a key role in improving rural life by funding critical services such as hospitals, internet access, and farming projects. The agency also steps in during emergencies. In Missouri’s Dunklin County, for example, it provided a $1 million grant to fix a broken sewer system that had flooded homes with waste.
“We had to get this issue taken care of, and within a few weeks, we had a million-dollar emergency grant for that wastewater plant that was run in part by the county and in a city down there so they could start fixing that as quickly as possible,” said Kyle Wilkens.
However, funding and support are facing slowdowns. The Government Efficiency Department under the Trump administration pushed many USDA employees to retire and terminated others. Courts are now forcing the agency to rehire staff with back pay.
“Think of the time that you're taken away from these folks doing their actual job and that is money,” said Wilkens. “It's all it is. It's money.”
In farming, USDA grants have been delayed too. Some farmers awarded solar grants under the Inflation Reduction Act are still waiting for federal reimbursements.
Still, USDA Rural Development has had strong success stories. One is Batchelder Family Farms in Missouri. When COVID shut down meat plants, Brad and Jenna Batchelder expanded their business by selling their own farm-raised meat. A $242,000 grant helped them process and market meat locally.
“These grants that are provided for us give us the tools to do it the right way and to get our food out to people, get them local, you know, healthy farm-raised food that people are looking for,” said Jenna Batchelder.
USDA Rural Development continues to be a lifeline for many, helping families, businesses, and communities survive and thrive despite funding hurdles.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: Missouri, Business