A white dairy farmer from Wisconsin has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to enforce discriminatory programs that favor minority farmers, despite a prior court ruling. The lawsuit, submitted on Monday in a Wisconsin federal court, claims that USDA policies are unfairly excluding white male farmers from equal treatment.
The plaintiff, Adam Faust, is being represented by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. Faust was previously part of a successful 2021 lawsuit that challenged the Biden administration’s Farmer Loan Forgiveness Plan for prioritizing “socially disadvantaged” farmers. A federal judge ruled in that earlier case that the program was unconstitutional.
In the latest lawsuit, Faust argues that despite the 2021 ruling, the USDA has continued implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs originally introduced under President Biden. Faust and his attorneys claim these policies now discriminate against white male farmers.
Faust issued a statement criticizing the USDA, saying, “The USDA should honor the President’s promise to end racial discrimination in the federal government. After being ignored by an agency that’s supposed to support farmers, I hope this lawsuit finally brings answers, accountability, and results.”
The USDA has not commented on the ongoing litigation.
The lawsuit challenges three specific USDA programs. One allegedly charges Faust a $100 administrative fee that minority and female farmers are not required to pay. Another program guarantees 90% of loan values for white farmers, while offering a 95% guarantee for women and racial minorities—putting white men at a financial disadvantage, according to the complaint.
Additionally, Faust claims that a USDA environmental conservation program reimburses only 75% of his manure storage project costs, while covering up to 90% for minority participants.
John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, expressed frustration over the lawsuit, stating, “The farmers that are hurting now are clearly the Black farmers. You can spin it any way you want.”
Previously, the Biden administration halted the race-based loan forgiveness program following the 2021 legal challenge, and Congress formally repealed the measure in 2022.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which has filed similar anti-DEI lawsuits across 25 states, sent a warning letter to the USDA in April, urging the agency to eliminate what it called unlawful discrimination. The group stated that although it preferred not to sue, the USDA’s continued enforcement of such policies left them no choice.
Former President Donald Trump, now running for re-election, has pledged to dismantle DEI initiatives across the federal government, promoting a return to strictly merit-based systems.
