06/21/2025

Abandoned by Trump, a Farmer and a Migrant Seek a Better Future

USDA funding freezes have hit some states hard

There was a saying he'd heard, about how every farmer rooted for all the other farmers to do well, too, until one of those others started farming next door. So J.J. Ficken didn't talk much about the grant money with other farmers.

But his bills had mounted, and his ambitions had unraveled, and in Kirk, Colorado, a town of 61, it was easy to feel alone. Now on that afternoon in mid-April, J.J., 37, unstrapped the bags of seed corn on his trailer for a customer.

"How are ya?" J.J. said, extending his hand to a man he'd known all his life. They'd played ball together, shared in family trips. So J.J. decided to tell him.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.