Long waits and frayed nerves await farmers who want to sign up for conservation programs at a shrinking Department of Agriculture, an Illinois crop adviser told senators Tuesday.
Staff reductions at the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will eventually play out in the field, said the adviser, Megan Dwyer, at a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing.
“It comes down to relationships,” said Dwyer, director of conservation and nutrient stewardship with the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
“We know for sure that if we expect to see less staff in these offices, with the archaic IT and systems they’re using, we’re going to continue to see long lines, delays in enrollment, struggles and frustrations with the farmers showing up looking to get service and technical assistance.”
