URBANA — When it comes to the current uncertainty over federal funding, many people have been asking Mayor Diane Marlin the same question: “What can we do as individuals?”

“So what would you tell our constituents?” she asked. “… Everyone wants to do something and say something, and the chaos is so overwhelming that it’s hard to focus.”

“We don’t have the votes to change this,” replied Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “What we do have is our voices in local communities and the stories that we can tell about the devastation that has occurred.”

It was with this aim in mind that Pritzker, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II held a roundtable Wednesday afternoon on how federal cuts and freezes have impacted farming and conservation efforts.

Sola Gratia Farm, which hosted the event, works to increase affordability and access to healthy, fresh food for low-income individuals, said Director Traci Barkley.

About one-third of the farm’s income comes from grant funding and, of that amount, half is from U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that are at risk. As it stands, Sola Gratia could lose almost $90,000 for 2025 alone, and the farm has already spent a great deal of its own money on expenses it expected to be reimbursed, Barkley said.

One local project that could be hurt is Sola Gratia’s Farm to School program, which is conducted with support from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

The program, which is largely supported by federal funding, has included developing gardens at Urbana schools, creating curriculum kits for local teachers, and distributing food items from Sola Gratia and other local farms to the school district.

“It takes this careful work to get these sustainable pieces in place, but right now we’re feeling like we’re cut at the knees,” Barkley said, adding that she’s afraid they may have to reduce programs or staff.

In addition to Barkley and Sola Gratia farm manager John Williams, the panel also included leaders from The Land Connection, Prairie Rivers Network, Savanna Institute and the Illinois Environmental Council.

According to the governor’s office, a variety of USDA programs that promote conservation, organic farming, renewable energy and food assistance may be at risk or have already been affected.

USDA officials have said that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is working with the Department of Government Efficiency to cut “wasteful spending” and save taxpayer dollars.

In an official statement last month, Rollins criticized the Biden administration of overregulation, “extreme environmental programs” and failure to fight “crippling inflation.”

“We will honor our commitments to American farmers and ranchers, and we will ensure they have the support they need to be the most competitive in the world,” she said.

While the focus of Wednesday’s roundtable was agriculture and conservation, Budzinski and Pritzker said they are also worried about the security of funding for other programs as well, including Medicaid, SNAP and veterans’ services.

Pritzker said that Illinois stands to lose an estimated $11 billion from various federal funding sources, which would pose a serious challenge to the state’s budget.

“We don’t have $11 billion to fill in the gaps,” he said.

Both he and Budzinski claimed that federal funding cuts are not actually about efficiency but rather tax cuts to wealthy individuals and companies.

“They’re looking for any financial offset they can find to pay for these tax cuts,” Budzinski said.

She said that her efforts to fight funding cuts have included trying to find colleagues who can speak directly to Rollins and joining amicus briefs on legal challenges to the Trump administration’s actions. She added that lawmakers are also gearing up to defend against further cuts.

The congresswoman also agreed with Pritzker that local stories of impact should be promoted.

“These are really important agricultural programs, and we need to put a face behind them,” she said.

Costello said that he’s been hearing from lawmakers on the other side of the aisle who want to work together to fight what’s going on at the federal level.

“That, ultimately, is how we’re going to win,” he said. “… When they speak up and speak out, that’s going to make a big difference. But all of us, everybody, whatever party we belong to, needs to.”