Federal Funding Freeze – What Does This Mean for Farmers?

Get 30 Days Free Weekly Alerts TDLR*: We’re as confused as you are, but this is what we know so far about the federal funding freeze. Because all of of this uncertainty, we want to help farmers and ranchers by giving you 30 days free of weekly funding email alerts.  The Federal Funding Freeze: What Happened and Where Things Stand There’s many moving parts, making this confusing, so here’s what we know so far about the federal funding freeze: The Timeline January 28: The White House budget office ordered a pause on all federal grants, loans, and financial assistance programs, according to a memo released Monday. Later that day: A federal judge temporarily blocked the funding freeze, issuing a stay that lasts until Monday, Feb. 3. The ruling applies only to existing programs. January 29: The Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memo that called for the freeze but left the broader spending review in place. The administration says federal agencies should consult legal counsel about how to implement the executive orders on funding. January 31: A second federal judge issued another temporary pause, siding with nearly two dozen states challenging the freeze. The ruling prevents most federal agencies from halting funding while the case moves forward. The administration opposed the ruling, calling it “sweeping relief.” February 3: The first federal judge extended the block on the federal funding freeze. This was due to several non-profit organizations claiming they were struggling to receive promised funds. February 11: Some farmers have reported issues with USDA funding being frozen, including funds related to conservation programs established under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The USDA has also informed some farmers that their contracts with the NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) have been frozen, with no clear timeline for when they will be released.  The situation is still evolving. While the freeze has technically been lifted, legal challenges continue, and the broader review of federal spending is still in place. Stay Updated We’re tracking this through these non-partisan sources: AP News NPR PBS News  Our Offer: 30 Days Free of Weekly Funding Alerts To ease the whiplash of the funding freeze saga, we want to make sure that farmers and ranchers are aware of the funding opportunities available for the farm. So, while the powers that be figure things out, we’re flipping the script: we’re giving you 30 days free of weekly funding email alerts (or longer if until the situation is fully resolved). Take Funding-Matching Survey Get 30 Days Free Weekly Alerts During this time, we’ll keep you updated on the status of federal programs along with state/local programs, nonprofit programs, and private programs in our weekly email funding alerts. We know that these programs are a lifeline for the farming industry, and uncertainty is the last thing anyone needs right now. What is this service and why do you need it? We keep you updated on the latest funding opportunities for your farm, saving hours of time searching.    How this works: we send farmers and ranchers weekly email funding alerts that includes local, state, regional, and federal grants, loans, and cost-shares. Since we’re in a limbo, we’ll keep you updated on the status of federal programs (and state/local programs, nonprofit programs, and private programs). Once the freeze is officially over, we will continue to send funding email alerts your way.    To get weekly email alerts, you must take our free funding-matching survey, so we know what funding opportunities fit your farm.  *TLDR means too long didn’t read; it’s the summary of this article. We know you’re busy, so we want to let you know what’s going on in 30 seconds or less.

Prepare for Tax Season with Us and a Tax Professional

Ah, tax season—the most wonderful time of the year, right? Okay, maybe not, but we’re here to make it a whole lot easier for you. Whether you’re staring at a stack of receipts/bank statements or wondering how to tackle those tax forms, we’ve got your back.   Join us for our Preparing for Tax Season Webinar happening on February 18, at 6:30 p.m. EST. We’re bringing together a team to help farmers like you get through tax season with less stress and more confidence.   We’re not CPAs, so we’re excited to have Darrell Tennie, MBA, MA, from The Tennie Group out of Raleigh, North Carolina join us to share professional advice for farmers and agribusinesses. Topics Include Preparing your books for tax season – learn how to stay on top of monthly bookkeeping to make tax prep smoother (and never miss a deduction). Complying with (and minimizing) all kinds of taxes farmers have to pay – we’ll cover federal and state income taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, and property taxes Filing your taxes efficiently – We’ll dive into smart strategies to help you save time and avoid headaches when it’s time to file. No matter where and how you farm, you have to file taxes, so this webinar is for you. Tax prep isn’t one-size-fits-all, but we’ll help you understand the essentials and connect you with resources that make sense for your operation. Register for Webinar Talk with the Team And check out our blog Preparing Your Farm for Tax Season too. We cover farm income Schedule F, not Schedule C, Form 4562, W-2s for your employees, 1099s for your contractors, and all the other tax-related acronyms you need to know. Learn More About Darrell Tennie Darrell Tennie, MBA, MA, is the Chief Executive Officer of The Tennie Group.   They’re experts in agriculture taxation, agriculture payroll and crop insurance and finding opportunities to help farmers succeed through agribusiness development. They’ve been helping they’ve been helping farmers since 2014. Learn More Got a Question? Let’s Talk! If you have a question for us, let’s find 15 minutes to answer your questions. Find a time below that works for you.

Advanced Farm Financial Management Webinar Recording

https://youtu.be/_OpwwsFwUvY?si=3QkCi3rCfefrZ-tO This webinar was designed for farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses ready to take their financial management to the next level! In this session, Alex, CEO of Good Agriculture, and Allen, Farmer Financial Lead, covered advanced strategies to strengthen your farm’s financial foundation. Topics covered strategies to help farmers manage their money and make smart financial decisions. Topics included: Breaking down your farm’s profitability by enterprise (because knowing where your money comes from matters). Cash flow management and budgeting tools to keep your operation running smoothly. Tips for accurate cost allocation—because every dollar should have a purpose. We also walked through a real-life case study to show how better bookkeeping and scenario planning can help avoid cash flow problems. Plus, we shared some handy Excel templates you can use right now to stay on top of your finances. Download the templates below. Preparing for Tax SeasonSign up for the Preparing for Tax Season Webinar on Feb. 18 at 6:30 PM EST. We’ll dive deeper into understanding financial statements like income and cash flow statements and more. The team will be back to give you tools and suggestions that will help you tackle your taxes with confidence. If you missed previous webinars, or want to relive the fun again, visit our Webinar Series page. Register for Webinar Get Financial Management Template Special Offer: $200 Off – Ends Jan. 31! We’re all about making farm finances simpler, and right now, check out our $200 off offer on either onboarding for our monthly services or a one-time financial cleanup until Jan. 31.

The Farmer’s Sense

It doesn’t get talked about often enough, but I honestly think that farmers have a superpower. I think farmers have a sixth sense. I call it “The Farmer’s Sense.”