Leopold Center - Few dollars go to research for midsize farms

Small and midsize farms are missing out on the largest share of federal research dollars, according to results of a study funded by the Leopold Center Policy Initiative.

The study, entitled “The Impact and Benefits of USDA Research and Grant Programs to Enhance Midsize Farm Profitability and Rural Community Success,” was conducted by the Center for Rural Affairs (CRA) based in Lyons, Nebraska. The Center for Rural Affairs issued a report of the study results at news briefings October 10-11 in Washington, D.C.

The study finds USDA research and grant programs lacking in either benefit or relevance to small and midsize farmers and ranchers or beginning farmers and ranchers. The study analyzed four mainstay USDA research and rural development grant programs: the Value-Added Producer Grant program (VAPG), Rural Business and Enterprise Grant program (RBEG), National Research Initiative (NRI) and Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS).

“Our analysis revealed that, in total, of nearly $500 million dedicated to these four programs, only 5 percent went to projects determined to be beneficial to small and midsize farmers and ranchers or beginning farmers and ranchers,” said Kim Leval from the Center for Rural Affairs.

Among the four programs analyzed, the report identified VAPG and IFAFS as offering the most benefits to small and midsize producers as well as beginning farmers and ranchers. The report also points out that all four programs were generally lacking in projects that would help beginning farmers and ranchers. “Given the demographics of agriculture in America – with only 70,000 farmers and ranchers under the age of 35 as opposed to 350,000 just 25 years ago – the inability of major USDA research and grant programs to address the topic of beginning farmers and ranchers is disappointing,” Leval said.