Aaron Krauter served eight years as the state executive director for the North Dakota Farm Service Agency during the Obama Administration. Krauter, who farms at Regent in western North Dakota, said the proposed USDA budget cuts are very frustrating. “What really bothers me is so many producers voted for this administration and this is what they’re getting,” said Krauter. “Folks, you’ve got to stop and think what the consequences are because we’re at that now.” In a down market, programs like ARC and PLC, become more important. Natural disaster payments and livestock indemnity payments are all made at the local level. Krauter said there will be long-term consequences to the potential county office closures. “Think about the beginning farmer, getting credit is always tough because you don’t have the assets or cash flow or the collateral, where do they come? They come to the Farm Service Agency for the beginning farmer farm loans.” With farm relief likely due to tariffs and a trade war, Krauter said those payments are also calculated through FSA.
