Thirteen livestock producers in Iowa are getting grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to keep meat and money closer to home.

The dollars are part of a program designed to bolster and protect smaller livestock producers from consolidation.

Right now, four companies account for about 85% of the beef purchased and processed in the U.S. The grants are meant to curb consolidation, lower farmers and consumers' reliance on those mega-producers and help people running smaller cattle operations.

Margaret Chamas, livestock viability manager for Practical Farmers of Iowa, said having a processor nearby means more of the meat stays close to home, in local grocery stores and restaurants.

"Versus I send that animal to an auction. That animal might go to Chicago, it might go to New York City, who knows? It's going to end up somewhere else, on someone else's plate," Chamas pointed out. "And all of the value of the meat, whoever is doing the down-the-road processing and further value-adding of that, they're going to keep that money."

The government said the grants are also designed to modernize, upgrade, and in some cases, expand,
smaller livestock production sites and options for livestock producers.

Chamas noted having a processor nearby gives her the option of having the meat she produces custom-butchered -- into ground beef, sirloin, or chuck roast, for example -- while giving local people access to another one of the state's resources.

"But when we do have a situation like the Midwest, especially Iowa, where there's such rich soil, and we can grow extremely high-quality beef, it's nice to be able to try to keep it all in the family, keep it in the neighborhood," Chamas asserted. "Have the animals grown here, processed here, and then consumed here, and the money stays in the local system."

Agriculture Department data showed a majority of the country's feedlots have fewer than 1,000 head of cattle, but the larger ones raise most of the nation's beef.

Young Farmers in Michigan hope the new Farm Bill will include key benefits regarding land access so they can continue to pursue farming passionately. Without generational access to land and institutional knowledge of farming, young farmers face difficulties in entering the industry and building infrastructure for growing their business.

Payge Solidago, Michigan organizer with the National Young Farmers Coalition, said nearly 40% of young farmers lease their land and lack access to secure land. She said four in every five of these farmers believe their work is regenerative and supports the land to improve its condition.

"We're talking about the ability to feed your community, the health and sustainability of the land, which is foundational to climate change. Runoff and chemicals, capturing carbon, pollinator health. All of these things farmers are thinking about, especially this younger generation," Saldago said.

Solidago added she'd like to see the Land Access and Opportunities Act passed in the new farm bill.

Michigan has multiple land-reparation projects across the state to support land ownership for Black and indigenous farmers and others of color. A few that can support young farmers are the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, the Washtenaw County Black Farmer Fund and the Farmers of Color Land Fund of West Michigan.

Solidago says 60% of young farmers say their top challenge is land access.

"All of these capital issues and land issues, whether it be climate issues, water issues, student loan issues- BIPOC farmers are experiencing all of these issues at a higher rate than white young farmers," she added. "Farmers of color and queer folks have a harder time being able to enter these farming spaces because of what the communities often look like."

Solidago said young farmers are on the front lines of the climate crisis and need support to continue implementing solutions on their farms. She says they often face barriers to accessing existing federal conservation programs.

"A lot of these USDA programs are designed for really large farms, and these young farmers with smaller farms, the program wasn't built for them, and applying is often not worth the trouble," she said.

Historically, underserved farmers and ranchers that manage small-acreage farms have a crucial role to play in protecting natural resources, conserving water and improving soil health. Solidago urges legislators to pass the Small Farms Conservation Act and the Land and Opportunities Act for the new Farm Bill.


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North Dakota's farming landscape is seeing policy shifts dealing with corporate ownership of agricultural interests. Now, there's fresh debate at the federal level.

Earlier this year, the Legislature loosened restrictions under the state's longstanding anti-corporate-farming law. The changes, which followed lengthy debate, focus on livestock operations.

In Congress, the National Family Farm Coalition is among the groups calling for passage of the Farmland for Farmers Act, which would restrict the amount of farmland large corporations can own.

Ben Vig, who farms small grains in east-central North Dakota, said he's happy to see the federal proposal, noting the broader corporate influence within agriculture these days.

"The idea that we have checks and balances when we purchase our food -- well, sometimes, the corporations own everything and we're subjected to what they put as a price," Vig observed.

He's referring to corporate dominance in such areas as meat processing. And foreign ownership of U.S. ag property also has emerged as a concern; the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports foreign investors hold about 40 million acres of American farmland.

The North Dakota Farmers Union has said it doesn't think the federal bill would overlap with the state-level changes, but it does support the Congressional efforts.

Groups representing large ag firms have criticized recent federal attempts to establish market fairness, warning they would harm consumers. But Vig said giving the little guy more "wiggle room" to operate keeps farming communities thriving.

"And we still have people taking care of the land or taking care of small-town infrastructure," Vig pointed out. "Whether we're serving on a township board, or serving on a church board and a school board, we still know who the neighbors are."

Corporate influence within agriculture also has led to concerns about the impact on land prices.

The Farmland for Farmers Act was introduced by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey. And separate bipartisan efforts are focused on foreign investors.

At the state level, North Dakota got attention for the livestock-related ownership changes, but lawmakers also advanced legislation to restrict foreign governments from acquiring farmland.

If you live in a flood prone community, soil health from nearby farmland may have something to do with it. Ag voices in Wisconsin say government-funded conservation programs are effective in mitigating risks and disaster expenses.

Congress will soon renew debate over long-term Farm Bill funding, including incentives for producers to adopt practices like no-till farming, which allow the soil to hold more water after heavy rain.

Juli Obudzinski, sustainable agriculture policy consultant for the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, said it is not only an issue for farmers and policymakers. She emphasized taxpayer dollars come into play when programs are underfunded.

"Some of the costs that they pay because of the lack of investment in soil health practices, especially municipalities, rural communities, even state budgets when they're looking at costs to repair flooding damages," Obudzinski outlined.

Her research showed between 2009 and 2019, Wisconsin suffered nearly $36 million in flood damage. On the other side, she acknowledged soil health investment and improved water quality pay off for communities, such as boosting home values along watersheds. The discussions also follow recent conservation funding boosts from the Inflation Reduction Act, with advocates noting they are poised to help more rural areas.

Ron Schoepp, a farmer from south-central Wisconsin, is among those who have tapped into Inflation Reduction Act incentives this year through the federal Conservation Stewardship Program. He is adding to the soil health practices he has carried out over the years, providing benefits reaching beyond his property.

"We farm right on Lake Wisconsin and so there's less runoff," Schoepp explained. "That definitely helps neighbors by keeping a cleaner Lake Wisconsin."

He also contended making incentives more accessible could place less stress on disaster aid programs for farmers. Congress has until next fall to adopt a new Farm Bill after extending the recent version for another year. While many programs have bipartisan support, it is unclear how funding disagreements and the 2024 election will influence reauthorization.