A federal district court has granted a temporary preliminary injunction in a funding dispute that includes a $7.4 million grant awarded to the McAllen-based nonprofit Holistic Organic Practical Education for Small Farm Sustainability, known as H.O.P.E., .
The update says the grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, which is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The money is tied to work meant to address agricultural production and food-cost challenges across parts of Texas.
The preliminary injunction was issued in the USDN et al. v. USDA case and restored funding to a portion of award recipients while the dispute continues. Preliminary injunctions are temporary court orders and do not represent a final ruling on the full case.
For McAllen readers, the case matters because H.O.P.E. is based locally and the disputed grant touches small-farm support, market access and food systems beyond the city.
