USDA Cuts Land Access Program, Undermining Iowa’s Food System and Next Generation of Farmers
DES MOINES, Iowa (March 27, 2026)—The Iowa Food System Coalition is expressing deep concern following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to cancel the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program (ILCMA), a federal initiative designed to help farmers gain access to land and build viable agricultural operations. Iowa Representative Zach Nunn was a co-sponsor of the Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act which was passed in Congress in 2023 and which authorized and expanded the LCMA Program.
We are still gathering data and information from our impacted partners about long-term effects on their projects, and we plan to continue sharing information in the coming weeks and months. At this time, we know that five IFSC partners across Iowa including Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, Iowa Valley RC&D, We Arose Co-op, Feed Iowa First, and LSI Global Greens were actively engaged in two multi-million dollar projects aimed at providing land access to the next generation. Now, these organizations are forced to break contracts and promises they have made to help farmers access land and capital to begin farming.
“This decision is part of a broader pattern of federal actions that are narrowing support for programs designed to serve beginning farmers, food-focused farms, and farmers from historically underserved communities.
At a time when millions of Americans are waking up to the need for sustainable, local food production both for human and environmental health, farms producing food for Iowans are being actively undermined by irrational public policy decisions without explanation,” said Tommy Hexter, Executive Director of the Iowa Food System Coalition.
In 2025, unexpected terminations of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs, which connected local farmers to schools and food banks, have already weakened local markets. Now, more projects led by IFSC partners are being halted or scaled back.
“The sudden termination of this grant has left several half-completed and previously planned farmland access projects unfunded,” said Breanna Horsey, Executive Director of Sustainable Iowa Land Trust.
At the Iowa Food System Coalition, we firmly believe that Iowa food farmers need a fair share of public investment. We stand disappointed that public agencies continue to disinvest in the major programs specifically designed to support food system growth. Terminating funding for local food programs directly harms Iowa farmers’ viability. Continued investment in local food programs is needed to encourage rural economic development, promote fresh food and nutritional health, and to offer the next generation of Iowans an opportunity to farm with thriving markets.
“As a farm business owner myself who had the opportunity to grow up on an Iowa farm, I personally know the tremendous hurdles to launching my own farm business, securing land access, loans and grants to grow a business.
I was excited with the opportunity to help the next generation and increase the number of farms in rural Iowa. This contract termination sets Iowa Valley back years to launching a similar program to help beginning farmers succeed in Iowa.” Jason Grimm, Executive Director of Iowa Valley RC&D.
The partner-led efforts funded by LCMA were designed to expand access to affordable land, connect farmers to markets and capital, and support new and underserved farmers building viable operations. Together, they represent years of relationship-building and on-the-ground work.
This termination couldn’t come at a less opportune time. Currently, Iowa is entering one of the largest farmland transitions in its history. Over the next two decades, millions of acres will change hands as farmers retire. Land access remains one of the greatest barriers facing beginning farmers. Only 5% of Iowa landowners are under age 44, while 66% are over 65, reflecting a rapidly aging land base and a very limited pipeline of younger landowners positioned to shape Iowa’s agricultural future.
Land access also shapes what Iowa produces. Today, only 0.04% of Iowa’s harvested cropland (about 9,399 acres) is used to grow fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries.
The Iowa Food System Coalition remains committed to working alongside partners across the state to understand the impacts of this decision, support those affected, and continue advancing solutions that expand land access, strengthen rural economies, and ensure Iowa farmland remains productive and accessible for generations to come. We will continue to share information from our impacted partners about how these cuts impact Iowa’s food system.
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The Iowa Food System Coalition (IFSC) is a community of over 50 organizational partners and 600 individuals with professional and lived expertise, united to advance a thriving, sustainable, and equitable food system in Iowa. Through Setting the Table for All Iowans, our strategic roadmap, IFSC is leading efforts to increase local food consumption, build resilient rural communities, create economic opportunities, and improve the health of Iowans.
