A Harlingen nonprofit says the USDA canceled a $7.4 million farming grant it had received.

The organization, HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, said the money would’ve gone toward buying land and equipment to train students how to farm. 

H.O.P.E. Executive Director Diana Garcia-Padilla said they spent about $700,000 on land surveys, soil testing and education programs before the cancelation.

“To me the big deal was the land, land is real expensive," Garcia-Padilla said. "Our plan was to provide that land you can practice on it and you can create that experience needed.”

A USDA spokesperson said the grant was canceled because the Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program was mismanaged, and cited it as an "egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars." 

Read the full statement from the USDA below:

“Over the last year, USDA has worked to clean up the mess left for us by the last Administration. To no surprise, a peek behind the curtain of this Biden-era program revealed the egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars to the tune of nearly $300 million.

Under the guise of increasing land access for producers, the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program included no minimum requirement for direct producer support. Instead, the program permitted the abuse of federal funds, including expenditures on the purchasing of a barbeque smoker, construction of a gazebo, massages, and for one awardee, a $20,000 budget for ink pens alone.  

Specific Examples of inappropriate spending under the Increasing Land Access program include: 

$20,000 for a barbeque smoker 

$20,000 allocated for massages for farmers 

$110,000 for a camper/RV 

$27,000 for drones 

$112,500 for refreshments 

$130,355 for office supplies, including $20,000 for pens 

$10,000 for a camera to livestream cooking videos 

Funding for gazebo construction 

Multi-million-dollar budgets with vague justifications such as “travel” and “supplies” 

USDA remains committed to restoring fiscal discipline and ensuring that programs serve the farmers and ranchers we are mandated to support. Under this Administration, USDA programs will uphold market principles, engage in fiscal discipline, and provide adequate funding to the farmers it exists to support. The nonprofit plans to appeal the decision.”

Garcia-Padilla said the organization plans to appeal the decision.