USDA cancels tribal agriculture grants, projects face uncertainty
Cuts include nearly $9M for a Blackfeet Reservation institute; leaders say projects, jobs and training tied to a $300M program are at risk
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has terminated dozens of agricultural grants, including nearly $9 million awarded to the Piikani Lodge Health Institute on the Blackfeet Reservation, according to Montana Free Press.
The funding was part of the Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program, which distributed about $300 million to 50 grantees in 2023. USDA officials said the program involved “discriminatory preferences” tied to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and “wasteful spending.” Tribal leaders and project organizers disputed that characterization, calling the cancellations “devastating,” according to Montana Free Press. The grants supported projects including land purchases, farmer training and food production infrastructure, and leaders said the loss of funding threatens jobs, training programs and economic development efforts.
- 1.Nora Mabie. Montana Free Press, .