(ABC 6 News) – It’s been almost a month since the Trump administration announced a freeze on federal loans and grants, and the impacts are starting to be felt across the country, including with our local farmers.

Myron Sylling is one such farmer, based out of Spring Grove in Fillmore County.

With 40 years in the business, and an operation covering more than 1,600 acres, he’s seen a lot of changes.

One thing that has helped through it all over years has been the state and federal dollars through grant programs – like the one that helped him get started cover cropping in 2013.

“With that program we were able to get a lot of our costs covered so that we could learn how to grow and manage those crops in our area profitably alongside our row crops,” he said.

That’s how a lot of these programs work. A farmer spends their own money implementing new strategies and the government reimburses them.

It’s how Sylling’s latest program – bringing more climate smart practices to his farm – through the USDA was supposed to work.

He’s already put in the time and money to get started, but his reimbursement for last month never came.

“I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 of my own time, equipment-ware, and seed invested in this,” Sylling said.

For an old hand like Sylling, it’s no small change but it is something he can push through for now.

Other, smaller farmers aren’t so lucky.

“A lot of the farmers were looking forward to more market support and we’re already hearing that they may not be farming this year,” said Amanda Nigon-Crowley, executive director for The Village Agricultural Co-Operative.

The co-op specializes in helping new farmers get started and market their produce.

One way it does that is through the American Rescue Plan Act, which allowed them directly support its farmers by buying what they grew.

“We purchase from 12 different farmers within our organization and then the food was donated to a total of 8 food shelves locally within in Rochester,” Nigon-Crowley said.

However, that grant money is also part of the federal funding freeze, and now the co-op is out more than $82,000.

That much loss has crippled the organization, stripping the seven person team down to two, and severely limiting its ability to support new farmers.

“Farmers need support,” Nigon-Crowley said. “It’s not a lucrative industry for anybody.”

There’s still uncertainty about when exactly some or all of the frozen funds will be distributed, but some, like those at the Village, have decided to run on the assumption that they won’t be receiving the funds at all.

In a statement, Congressman Brad Finstad said:

“As with any new administration, President Trump and his team have been working to review all taxpayer-funded programs, including those within the USDA. Last week, Secretary Rollins announced that the first round of funding has been released, and announcements regarding the release of additional program funds are forthcoming.

My office has been in close communication with individuals impacted by the USDA freeze, as well as with the department. Secretary Rollins has stated that USDA will honor contracts that were already made directly to farmers, and my office will continue to advocate for the farmers and rural families impacted by the pause in funding.”

On Tuesday, a federal judge also extended a block on the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze federal funds, but more court cases around this issues are expected in the near future.