USDA land-access program termination leaves West Virginia beginning farmers in limbo
A news briefing from Farm Action’s policy team
West Virginia producers lose key support after USDA program termination
What happened: A federal agriculture program designed to help beginning and underserved farmers access land, equipment, training, and markets was gaining momentum in West Virginia before the Trump administration abruptly canceled it earlier this year. The USDA’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access program supported projects aimed at expanding opportunities for new farmers, but organizations involved say the sudden termination left planned projects and long-term investments in limbo.
In McDowell County, West Virginia, groups like Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) had been using the funding to help aspiring farmers launch small agricultural businesses raising meat goats and mountain-range chickens, managing honeybee operations, and planting fruit orchards. Local partners say the program directly addressed one of the biggest barriers facing rural communities: land access. According to EDGE leadership, roughly 70% of the land in McDowell County is owned by corporations and sits largely unused despite the region’s agricultural potential.
Source: Louisville Public Media
Why it matters: Land access remains one of the biggest barriers facing beginning and working farmers. Even in regions with strong agricultural potential, farmers often struggle to secure affordable land needed to start, maintain, or expand their operations. Rising land values and concentrated ownership can leave local communities locked out of the economic opportunities tied to the land around them. In places like McDowell County, stakeholders argue that unused corporate-owned land exists alongside persistent poverty and food insecurity, underscoring the disconnect between resource-rich rural communities and who actually controls access to those resources. Programs like the USDA’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access initiative were intended to help bridge some of those gaps by supporting underserved farmers and community-based agricultural development.
The cancellation also comes as many smaller and regional producers already struggle to access the infrastructure, financing, and processing capacity needed to compete in a food system increasingly dominated by large corporations. There’s an increasing need for investments that help build more resilient regional food systems, improve food access, and create economic opportunities rooted in community ownership rather than corporate control.