House Appropriations Bill Sets A Mixed Outlook For Rural Funding

Jun 16, 2023

On Wednesday, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed its agriculture appropriations bill for 2024. The $17.8 billion spending package, which proposes annual funding levels for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), follows the March release of the Biden administration’s budget for the same year.

While the package included spending cuts for multiple USDA programs, House appropriators showed their support for small businesses by holding funding for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) stable. The program, which provides loans and technical assistance to rural entrepreneurs, is slated to receive $6 million–the same amount allocated for 2023.

“RMAP is an essential tool for small businesses across the country,” said Kalee Olson, policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “We’re pleased to see members of the House Appropriations Committee recognize its value.”

While funding for RMAP remained intact, the Center is disappointed that other programs important to rural communities will face spending cuts if the proposed legislation becomes law. The House budget includes $776.892 million for Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)—a decrease of $24 million from 2023. CTA funds Natural Resources Conservation Service field staff who help agricultural producers develop and implement conservation plans.

“Many farmers and ranchers are eager to implement practices on their operations that are good for natural resources,” Olson said. “NRCS staff funded by CTA play an essential role in producers’ efforts to improve soil health and water quality.”

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.