The “Farm Bill” is omnibus legislation, or a series of bills initially intended to support agriculture through difficult times. The current Farm Bill expires on September 30, 2026, and FTCLDF expects to see legislative activity on these bills in the upcoming months.
A version of the Farm Bill put forth by the House Agriculture Committee has moved forward recently and, if passed, would reauthorize certain USDA programs for the next 5 years (the last reauthorization was in 2018). The Committee voted in early March to pass the Bill and it will now go before the full House, then to the Senate. It will not be an easy road ahead as some in the Senate have already indicated deep concerns with certain provisions, including those involving pesticide labeling. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key sections of interest to our members.
Conservation: The proposed Bill includes improvements in conservation programs, and the preservation of land conservation funding that supports programs key to agricultural stability, including support for cover crops, no-till practices, water and air quality improvements, and similar practices that create more resilient farmland. While the support for conservation is encouraging, the increased focus on costly precision agricultural practices and related technical tools and solutions could further burden small producers and move food production away from traditional farming practices toward increased automation. Also, while the Bill contains a federal match of state and tribal conservation expenditures proposal, which would boost and expand state programs created in recent years to help reduce the impact of earlier federal cuts, the proposed new grant program may in fact slow the flow of conservation money to farmers due to the time it will take to stand up the program and because the resources to manage it may be limited.
Financial Assistance and Insurance: Operating loans and farm ownership borrowing limit increases have been proposed as well as increases on the borrowing limits for guaranteed loans. Credit availability will broaden, and requirements for accessing credit, such as lowering the level of farming experience needed to apply, will ease if the Bill is passed, especially for new and young farmers. Additionally, “specialty crop (produce)” insurance has been strengthened to help producers better adjust to market changes, and catastrophe proposals would provide assistance when crops are impacted by severe weather and similar disruptions. What has not been adequately addressed, however, are the many hurdles producers face navigating the complicated and time-consuming paperwork and processes required to access the vital insurance.
Meat Processing: We have been following and supporting the Prime Act for some time and are gratified that the Bill seeks to permit a pilot program that would allow producers who have their livestock processed at a custom exempt facility to sell the resulting meat to customers anywhere in their state. Currently, custom processed meat can only be distributed to owners who purchase shares of a live animal before slaughter. This would dramatically open up meat sales for small producers. On a related note, hoped-for changes, increased expansion, and funding of the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program did not materialize beyond a proposal to further promote the program. Among other things, this program has allowed meat products from state-inspected facilities to be sold across state lines in states where their meat inspection program is equivalent to the federal program. The failure to materially improve the program reduces opportunities for small producers, and local meat choices for consumers.
Pesticide Labeling: A number of states are grappling with this issue in bills put forth during their legislative sessions that seek to strengthen pesticide warning label requirements. The Farm Bill proposes a national warning label for use by all pesticide producers, and would block states’ ability to require stronger warnings, effectively shielding manufacturers and preventing “failure-to-warn” lawsuits if the warning matches federal labeling requirements. A related issue is pending before the Supreme Court.
SNAP Cuts: Unfortunately, the cuts made to this and other nutrition programs as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill have not been addressed in this version of the Farm Bill, a failure that will continue to hurt the food insecure in innumerable ways for years to come. While the Bill does seek to create a local food purchasing program that would strengthen local economies, help meet the fresh food nutritional needs of insecure communities, and provide greater food distribution avenues for producers, it is not clear whether there will be sufficient funding to properly support such a program.
PFAS: The proposed Farm Bill recognizes the danger PFAS contamination has on farmland and has made research on the impact on food and soil, and potential solutions, a priority. What the Bill so far fails to do, however, is address the impact on farmers already impacted by contamination and does not offer financial or other support to them.
FTCLDF will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill on behalf of our members and take action as needed to support what works and push back on what has the potential to hurt the farmers and small food producers we champion, their customers, and the land they work so hard to steward with such care and devotion.