Losing Ground: Local Food and Farming Under Trump

Join Civil Eats, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom focused on the American food system, for an evening conversation exploring the future of small farms and local food systems following major USDA funding cuts.

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delayed and then began slashing programs and funding that many small farms and local food systems relied on to survive and grow.

A year later, the impacts are being felt across the country. Small and regenerative farms are struggling. Efforts to strengthen local food infrastructure have stalled. Young farmers are reconsidering their futures in agriculture, and trust in the USDA, especially among BIPOC farmers, is at a historic low.

Based on months of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with farmers, advocates, and experts nationwide, Civil Eats’ new reporting series, Losing Ground: Local Food and Farming Under Trump, examines what is at stake for communities and local economies and how farmers are continuing to move forward despite mounting challenges.

This evening conversation will bring together leaders across journalism, food systems, philanthropy, and policy for a moderated discussion and audience conversation, followed by a reception with invited guests. The discussion will be moderated by Lisa Held, senior staff reporter at Civil Eats, and the journalist behind the reporting series.

For 17 years, Civil Eats, a nonprofit news site dedicated to critical thinking about the American food system, has helped to mainstream the nation's food policy conversation. At a time when political divisions and the climate crisis fan fears and threaten our collaborative spirit, we offer fair, accurate, and accessible journalism that reveals how our food system works and where it breaks down.

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