Trump Administration and Floriculture: Research Funding Restored, and Critical Shutdown Resources
October 9, 2025 On occasion, the editorial team at Greenhouse Grower and Meister Media Worldwide will bring you the latest updates from the Trump administration’s policies and their impact on floriculture, from labor to the farm bill to funding for anything from federal loans to research and Extension. We also want to hear from you. What questions do you have about immigration enforcement, tariffs, or other topics? Let us know, and we’ll do our best to get you answers.
Here’s our update for Oct. 9.
AmericanHort Offers Information on Government Shutdown Impacts on Horticulture
The team at AmericanHort has provided the following update on how the federal government shutdown will impact EPA, guest worker programs – H-2A and H-2B visa applications – USDA, and progress on funding/appropriates, and the need for a Continuing Resolution (CR).
“The EPA would shrink by approximately 90% under this shutdown, with only a limited number of employees retained for essential duties such as protecting property, supporting disaster response, and overseeing urgent Superfund work. Most civil enforcement, permitting, and regulatory activities would halt. And the agency’s largest union condemned suggestions that the Trump administration might use the shutdown to push layoffs, calling such threats an attack on the workforce that safeguards public health and the environment.
Separately, H-2A and H-2B visa applications would stall as the Department of Labor stops processing cases, while DHS operations and visa issuance — largely funded by fees — are expected to continue. However, the situation could change depending on how this shutdown is implemented. Border-related funding in the OBBB Act is set to remain in full force. The USDA indicated it is prepared to maintain critical services if the government shuts down; however, it did not address questions about specific programs. The agency also released an updated contingency plan on Tuesday.
The shutdown is also stalling progress on longer-term appropriations. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK-04) warned that the impasse halts momentum on a nearly finished three-bill fiscal 2026 funding package covering Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA programs. While Cole expressed optimism about eventually moving forward with additional funding tranches, Democratic aides countered that Republicans have not engaged in leadership-level talks and that several major issues remain unresolved.
All eyes are on the Senate to pass a stopgap bill or a Continuing Resolution (CR). The House of Representatives has been in recess since passing the CR on September 19.
Please notify the AmericanHort Advocacy & Government Affairs team if your business experiences disruptions due to federal services affected by the shutdown.”
Floriculture Research Funding Restored After SAF Push
Floriculture research funding that once seemed in danger of deep cuts has been secured in full after weeks of uncertainty — and with critical advocacy from the Society of American Florists.
Earlier this year, SAF and the American Floral Endowment learned that the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI), along with many other USDA Agricultural Research Service programs, was slated to receive only 85% of its fiscal 2025 funding. Because of how the money was allocated, the 15% cut would have eliminated support for Ohio State University’s Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC), a national repository that preserves and studies ornamental plant genetics.
That’s when SAF Senior Lobbyist Joe Bischoff, Ph.D., stepped in. He worked both on Capitol Hill and with USDA leadership to make the case for restoring the funds.
“There are decades of work and invaluable plant materials stored at OPGC,” he says. “You can’t get that back if it’s lost.”
Thanks in large part to SAF’s advocacy work, in coordination with the American Floral Endowment and pressure from other industry leaders, OPGC on Sept. 19 received 100% of its funding.
FNRI, managed through USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, directs federal dollars to projects that address challenges facing the floral and nursery industries. For years, SAF’s advocacy has pushed for increased funding for FNRI, growing it from $500,000 in the first year to $6.4 million. Half of FNRI’s funding supports ARS researchers and university professors, while the other half goes to floriculture and nursery programs like OPGC.
Research priorities identified through FNRI include:
- Developing plant varieties more resistant to pests and disease.
- Reducing input needs such as fertilizer and water.
- Improving postharvest care so cut flowers last longer.
- Optimizing shipping methods to preserve flower and plant quality during transport.
Bischoff notes that this type of federally supported research underpins the floral industry’s ability to deliver high-quality, long-lasting products to consumers.
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) helps direct FNRI funds to programs nationwide. AFE Research Coordinator Laura Barth emphasized that, while federal support can fluctuate year to year, the partnership between USDA, AFE, and the industry ensures money is targeted toward projects with the greatest impact.
“While funding levels are never guaranteed, these are important grants that our researchers rely on,” Barth says.
Other Headlines
- How the government shutdown could affect the produce industry: From Blue Book Services
- How a US government shutdown would affect USDA data, nutrition programs and operations: A primer from Reuters here.
- How the 2025 Government Shutdown Disrupts Farmers — And Why It Matters: From RedTomato.org
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