Leopards Ate My Face

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38557493

Donald Trump may have won the votes of the US’s most farming-dependent counties by an average of 78% in the 2024 election. But the moves made by his administration in the past few months – imposing steep tariffs, immigration policies that target the migrant labor farmers rely on, and canceling a wide range of USDA programs – have left many farmers reeling.

Some farmers, such as Bartman, loudly oppose Trump. “I’ve met some Democrats who’ll say: ‘You farmers deserve this. You voted for him.’ Well, I didn’t vote for the guy. The programs that have been impacted the most are targeted towards farmers that care about the environment.” Others, such as those living near North Carolina farmer Patrick Brown, are experiencing “buyer’s remorse”, said Brown, “but they don’t want to say it because they voted for the current administration”.

No matter who they voted for, farmers across the country are living in the new reality created by the Trump administration’s agricultural policies. The Guardian spoke to four farmers about what it’s like trying to grow crops, feed people, and keep their operations afloat in 2025.