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Mississippi farmers face mounting uncertainty as a federal funding freeze and layoffs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have disrupted some of the programs they rely on.

The freeze has paused reimbursements and stalled contracts, creating stress and financial strain for farmers already grappling with rising costs and unpredictable markets.

Adam Chappell, a fourth-generation Arkansas farmer from Cotton Plant, Arkansas, shared his views in a virtual briefing by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. He said if the uncertainties persist, he will likely be the last generation in his family to farm.

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"The reality is I may be the last one here and this funding freeze and all this uncertainty is not just affecting me," Chappell pointed out. "But you know, I've got to borrow money to farm, and when we don't know if we're getting reimbursed for things we've already done, you know, bankers don't like that."

The USDA freeze paused critical, and popular, initiatives like the Regional Conservation Partnership and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, but the agency now said it will honor the contracts for farmers who already had them in place.

Mike Lavender, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said farming is a profession built on limiting variables and reducing uncertainty. But lately, he is hearing a lot of anger and frustration from farmers left wondering about the future.

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

More than 8 million acres in Mississippi are covered by various USDA conservation programs.