A dairy farmer from Wisconsin, United States, has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), claiming its farm support programs discriminate based on race and gender. Represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, the farmer argues that minority and female applicants receive more favorable terms in programs like Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), Loan Guarantee, and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), putting him at a disadvantage. The case could have wide implications for how federal agricultural aid is administered nationwide.
A dairy farmer from Wisconsin has initiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), accusing the federal agency of discriminatory practices in several of its core agricultural support programs.
The lawsuit is backed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), a conservative nonprofit legal organization advocating for constitutional government and individual liberties. The farmer argues that USDA’s current framework for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), Loan Guarantee, and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) discriminates against him as a white male.
In the DMC program, he states that while women and minority farmers are exempt from paying a $100 annual administrative fee, he is not. Under the Loan Guarantee program, he receives only a 90% federal loan guarantee, whereas minority and female farmers receive 95%. Similarly, in the EQIP program, he qualifies for 75% cost reimbursement while minority farmers are eligible for 90%.
This is not his first challenge against the USDA. He previously won a lawsuit related to the Farmer Loan Forgiveness Program, which was overturned on grounds of racial discrimination. He claims that despite a presidential executive order prohibiting such preferences, the USDA continues to implement race- and sex-based classifications.
The farmer stated that after communicating with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and gaining support from multiple Republican congressmen from Wisconsin, the department failed to amend the policies, prompting the legal filing.
The lawsuit calls for injunctive relief, seeking to halt the USDA’s use of racial and gender criteria in these programs and declare such practices unconstitutional under equal protection laws.
However, the case has sparked criticism from civil rights leaders. John Boyd, President of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), responded that Black farmers continue to face historic disadvantages and that race-conscious support remains necessary to ensure fair treatment.
Broader Impact
If successful, the case could reshape how federal farm assistance is designed and distributed. It may influence future USDA programs and those from other agencies, fueling an ongoing debate over the balance between historic redress and claims of reverse discrimination.