Overview

• USDA’s contingency plan furloughs 42,000-plus employees, while SNAP, child nutrition, food safety inspections, wildfire response and targeted animal and plant health work continue.
• Processing of farmer payments, disaster assistance, annual commodity and conservation payments and most new farm loans is paused, creating immediate cash‑flow risks.
• County Farm Service Agency offices are largely closed with only emergency scenarios handled, suspending many local services farmers depend on during harvest.
• Some Agricultural Marketing Service operations funded by user fees or prior appropriations continue, including grain inspection, dairy grading and market news, while programs like packers and stockyards oversight and the national organic program are suspended.
• USDA webpages display a banner blaming “Radical Left Democrat” lawmakers as political leaders trade accusations, and the shutdown remains in effect with no funding deal yet passed.