Wisconsin Farmer Sues USDA Over Alleged Discrimination

Adam Faust, a white Wisconsin dairy farmer, has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alleging that several USDA programs discriminate against white and male farmers by offering better terms to minorities and women. The suit, brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, targets the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, Loan Guarantee Program, and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, claiming they provide reduced fees and higher reimbursement rates to minority and female farmers. Faust and his attorneys argue these practices violate the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and continue diversity, equity, and inclusion policies started under the Biden administration. Faust previously won a similar lawsuit against the USDA in 2021. Six Republican Wisconsin congressmen have called on the USDA to investigate and end the contested practices. The USDA has not yet responded to the lawsuit.