Cultivate KC v. U.S. Department of Agriculture (formerly Butterbee Farm v. U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Farmers and nonprofit recipients of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants under the Inflation Reduction Act filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Columbia challenging Trump administration actions imposing an “unlawful and indefinite freeze of Congressionally appropriated funds.” The plaintiffs alleged that they were participants in USDA grant programs to which the Inflation Reduction Act appropriated funds, including the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides loans and grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency systems on farms; the Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grants; the National Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Technical Assistance Program; and programs to provide assistance and support for underserved farmers. The plaintiffs asserted that the defendants’ actions violated separation of powers and the Take Care Clause and were contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.