AdvertisementThe USDA Rolled Back Protections For Small Farmers. Now The Farmers Are SuingDecember 14, 2017Nancy MatsumotofacebookEmailJames Dinklage, a cattle rancher from Nebraska, is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Thursday. The suit accuses the USDA of "arbitrary and capricious" behavior in rolling back two Obama-era rules designed to protect small farmers, who say they are being exploited by the meatpacking companies they supply. (Courtesy Dinklage Family/Organization for Competitive Markets)