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The ILCMA program was created under the Biden administration to help first generation and beginning farmers access land and capital, a persistent barrier to young farmers. In total, 50 organizations, including farmer associations, universities, and tribes received five-year contracts through the program.

But 49 of those contracts were terminated in March as the Trump administration set out to eliminate alleged diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal grants.

Twenty-four of them were added to a 2025 lawsuit overseen by Earthjustice, Farmers Justice Center, FarmSTAND and the Southern Environmental Law Center. On Tuesday, D.C. District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered the USDA start the process of restoring $127 million in grant payments by July 3.

“The LCM program is the largest public investment in land access in our nation’s history, and the only program designed to holistically address the challenges young and underserved producers face,” Amanda Koehler, young farmer and manager of the Land, Capital, and Market Access Network, said in a press release. “In the face of a land-access crisis, aging agricultural community, and fragile farm economy, our government should be fighting for next-generation producers, not illegally dismantling the programs they depend on.”