As the partial federal government shutdown continues past one month, farmers in Iowa are still feeling the effects.

Rippey area farmer Tim Bardole says with the absence of the United States Department of Agriculture being closed, the crop reports aren’t being released, which causes an inability for direction in the market and makes it trend downward. The reports also help farmers decide what to purchase for crop inputs for the upcoming year.

“It really makes it so you really can’t change what you already decided to do because you don’t have the information. We’re getting late enough now it’s going to be hard to do that.”

Bardole’s bigger concern is the impacts that the government shutdown is having on the Environmental Protection Agency inspections for certain areas for farmers.

“Chemical companies who have pesticide labels in, either for an update or for a new one coming through, it’s totally stopped all of that. Things that should’ve been ready for spring planting and spraying this summer aren’t going to get done.”

The government shutdown began on December 22nd.