Federal Shutdown Strains Farmers, WIC Recipients

The federal shutdown has halted the USDA’s quarterly WIC allocation, jeopardizing access to nutritious food for roughly 6.8 million low-income pregnant people, new mothers and children if the lapse continues. Furloughs at the Farm Service Agency are delaying loan processing, program enrollments and critical USDA market reports like the WASDE, complicating harvest- and planning-season decisions for farmers. Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, which could raise marketplace premiums for many farm families by more than 75% on average and push some into short-term, limited plans. The farm bill has expired and underpins crop insurance, conservation programs and nutrition assistance (about 80% of its funding), leaving producers at risk of losing key safety nets and of missing insurance sign-up deadlines. Together, the shutdown, looming health-subsidy changes and stalled farm legislation are converging to increase financial strain and operational uncertainty across rural communities and food-assistance programs.