'Everyone is really scared': Farmer speaks out as Trump puts livelihood in jeopardy

Maryland flower farmer Laura Beth Resnick spoke out on CNN Tuesday morning after President Donald Trump's across-the-board freeze on federal spending blocked a grant to help her upgrade her farm to clean energy — which would put her on the hook for over $36,000 the federal government had promised to pay, and jeopardize the economic viability of her business.

"We signed our contract with the government about a year ago to put solar panels on our barn, and about a year later the project was complete and we were supposed to get our funding the week that the funding freeze was announced," Resnick told anchor Sara Sidner. "We still haven't seen the money. And when we asked the government representative where it was and what we should do, they informed us that our funding request had been rejected due to the funding freeze."

She added that no one in the administration is explaining what's going on, despite federal judges ordering Trump to stop the freeze, and "it's a very stressful time."

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"Do you think this is part of the design of all of this is that they're saying, look, the freeze is no longer in place, but in fact, it is still in place, just more quietly?" asked Sidner.

"I don't know," said Resnick. "I mean, I'm just a farmer trying to do my work." What she does know, she added, is that "the profit margins are so slim. These government programs are just so important for helping new farmers and farmers who don't have, you know, independent wealth to get going. So in the past, there's been no problem with these government grants and loans. But this is the first time I've ever had anything like this."

"Is this happening to your fellow farmers?" asked Sidner. "Are you hearing this from anyone else in your world?"

"Yes, absolutely," said Resnick. "Everyone is really scared. People have reached out to me all over the country sharing similar stories. There's two other farms in Maryland who were in the middle of receiving their grant contracts for their solar panels as well. So there's at least two other people who are in the exact same position as me. And then there's also other government grants, not even this one, but ones for building high tunnels, and putting a well on your property, and putting up fencing for livestock. And all of those are frozen. So everyone is kind of in limbo and just feeling very nervous."

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