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Colorado farmers and ranchers are feeling frustrated and concerned since the Trump administration froze U.S. Department of Agriculture funding.

Mike Lavender, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said a number of critical programs remain paused and under review. Others, such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, could again get funds from the USDA for existing contracts.

Lavender stressed the reimbursements are critical to keep farms above water.

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"In many cases, farmers have already been paid out of pocket," Lavender explained. "And are now being told that they won't be reimbursed by the federal government on the timeline they had expected, threatening their financial viability."

The White House said the administration is looking to make agencies more efficient, which includes better service for farmers. But Lavender pointed out many farmers have been left wondering if they could still be on the hook if reimbursements do not come now, or in the future.

Patrick Brown, a fourth-generation farmer, grows corn, wheat, soybeans and produce as well as industrial hemp fiber for textile use in North Carolina. He said the funding freeze, and now tariffs, have stretched his operation to the limit.

"It puts a lot of stress on my family," Brown emphasized. "I have an 11-year-old son who I want to also be a part of that fifth-generation farm. This farm has been in operation for 165 years. I don't want my generation to be the generation that gave up, and I'll die before I give up on it."

Some 5,700 companies in Colorado exported goods to Canada and Mexico in 2022 and the number one manufactured export was food. The Colorado Corn Council warned tariffs make U.S. producers less competitive and can lead to loss of market share.

Lavender added farms and ranches, like any other business, need economic certainty.

"The past 45 days have injected a tremendous amount of uncertainty and confusion," Lavender emphasized. "Not only about livelihoods and about farm viability, but ultimately about what tomorrow will bring."