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RMFU keeps AgWell staff after federal RASAP grant freeze; programming trimmed
Summary
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union said a federal RASAP grant was frozen, temporarily halting parts of its AgWell program. RMFU moved internal funds and secured a private grant to keep staff but cut some programming while awaiting federal clarity, officials told the Colorado Ag Behavioral Health Working Group.
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union said its AgWell farm behavioral-health program was forced to pause parts of its work after the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (RASAP) federal grant was frozen, and that RMFU shifted internal funding and secured a private grant to keep staff, Tyler Garrett, director of government relations for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, said at the Ag Behavioral Health Working Group meeting.
The grant interruption, Garrett said, came without a clear timeline. “About 4, 6 weeks ago, we received notification that our RASAP or the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program grant was frozen, and that we were ordered to cease operations on those fronts,” Garrett said. He told the working group RMFU immediately contacted congressional offices and USDA officials and pursued media outreach.
Garrett said RMFU “was able to move money around in RMFU to ensure that we can continue our AgWell program and keep the staff that we have,” but that the organization had to “cut some of the programming” while the federal funding remained uncertain. He added that RMFU secured a larger grant from Rocky Mountain Health Plan to help cover part of the coming year and said officials were hopeful the RASAP funds would be restored.
The freeze comes amid broader state and federal budget pressures the group discussed. At the meeting, participants noted the state budget tightened during the legislative session and recommended continuing to elevate ag behavioral health so programs are not targeted in future cuts.
RMFU’s actions were described as an internal financial decision, not a formal direction from the working group. The organization said it would continue outreach to congressional and federal partners and keep the working group informed about program status and any staffing changes.
The working group did not take formal action on the AgWell funding status at the meeting; members praised RMFU’s advocacy and said they would monitor state and federal budget developments that could affect similar programs.
