Farm Bill

House Ag Committee Chairman Says Farm Bill Pesticide Provisions Could Cause Concern in the Senate

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:55:32 GMT

After a flurry of debate, votes and finally movement, the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2026 passed the U.S. House with a 224-200 vote. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson calls the legislation “transformational,” adding that 96% of GOP members in the House, the most in history, and 14 Democrats supported the bill.

“That’s the most members of the minority party who voted for a House farm bill since 2008. So, [that’s] a strong endorsement in a bipartisan way as this bill winds up in the Senate for consideration,” he says.

Despite his optimism, Thompson expressed concern over a key amendment introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. The addition stripped the farm bill of pesticide liability provisions. Before the amendment, the bill’s original language reaffirmed EPA as the sole agency capable of determining the information listed on a pesticide label. Critics, including Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocates, worry the language would shield pesticide manufacturers from liability claims.

“I have some concerns with the pesticide provision that was added,” Thompson says. “I think it may put farmers’ health at risk and certainly drive up affordability and open the door for foreign-manufactured pesticides to flood into our country.

“I have significant concerns that the amendment that was put forward is going to create chaos [in the Senate],” he later added.

Thompson says he’s supportive of year-round E15, but because it falls under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, it will likely be taken up for a vote mid-May.

Moving Forward

Thompson says, overall, he thinks farm bill conversations in the Senate are positive. The chairman says he’s kept Sen. John Boozman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, well informed about the bill over the last year.

“I kind of pictured my good friend, John Boozma, with a catcher’s mitt, ready to receive the Farm Food and National Security Act,” Thompson says. “He’ll have to make some modifications, and I think he’s hoping to do that mid- to late May. He knows how ... our farmers need this bill today, not tomorrow or not next year.”

New Legislation Impacting H-2A Reform

Thompson says in three to four weeks, he will likely release draft language for public discussion that would make reforms to the H-2A program. After the draft, he’ll be introducing a bill with bipartisan support, he says.

“We’ve already had some very positive discussions with our [House] Judiciary [Committee] Chairman Jim Jordan — so, [I’m] looking forward to breaking that 45-, almost 50-year gridlock of really not doing anything in this space. I think we have a great opportunity to provide certainty to agriculture workforce, which quite frankly is necessary for both food security and ultimately national security.”

Specialty Crop Growers Secure Pivotal House Victory as Pressure Mounts on Senate

Fri, 01 May 2026 09:30:06 GMT

With the clock ticking on economic stability for American growers, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance and other industry organizations are calling on the Senate to capitalize on yesterday’s House passage of H.R. 7567, arguing that family farms cannot survive another year of legislative gridlock.

SCFBA issued a statement following the House passage that applauded the move and singled out congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson for his push to get a farm bill passed.

“The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson for his leadership and perseverance, and we thank the House for advancing H.R. 7567, marking a pivotal step forward for American agriculture,” the statement reads. “This bill includes key bipartisan provisions that would strengthen the competitiveness of family farms producing specialty crops across the nation.

“As specialty crop producers face urgent and unprecedented economic pressures, enacting a comprehensive five-year farm bill is vital to their sustainability and to the communities they serve,” the statement continues. “We strongly urge the Senate to act swiftly so that a bipartisan farm bill can get through conference and to the president’s desk this year. American specialty crop growers cannot afford further delay.”

The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.

USApple Urges Senate to Take Swift Action

USApple President and CEO Jim Bair says the House passage of the farm bill includes meaningful investments in specialty crops. He too is encouraged by the bill’s “more responsive framework for specialty crop assistance.”

“America’s apple growers thank Chairman GT Thompson for his leadership in advancing a new farm bill through the U.S. House of Representatives,” he says. “This is a critical step toward long-term certainty for growers.”

USApple is urging the Senate to act quickly so that a bipartisan farm bill can get to the president’s desk as soon as possible.

FFVA Applauds Legislation Advancement

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association was also among the organizations issuing a statement after the House passed the farm bill.

“The passage of HR 7567 marks a significant step forward for specialty crop growers and American agriculture,” says Mike Joyner, FFVA president. “We commend Chairman GT Thompson for his leadership in championing this farm bill and are grateful the House today advanced this legislation.

“Importantly, the bill works to address the unique needs of our growers, including provisions to establish a robust emergency assistance framework, strengthen crop insurance and drive advancements in research, mechanization and automation,” he continues. “These measures, and others, will collectively enhance Florida’s fruit and vegetable industry and help ensure growers remain viable despite the economic challenges they currently face.”

FFVA, too, calls for “swift action by the Senate” to ensure the legislation becomes law this year.

CFFA Commends House Passage of Farm Bill

The California Fresh Fruit Association has also officially lauded the House for passing H.R. 7567. CFFA President Casey Creamer highlighted that the legislation provides essential federal support for research, trade promotion and pest prevention, which are critical for growers facing rising production costs and global competition. Furthermore, the bill aligns with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiatives to expand American access to nutritious food.

The CFFA is now focused on collaborating with Senate leadership to ensure the bill’s timely passage into law.

“California’s fresh fruit growers and shippers rely on strong federal support to remain competitive and sustainable,” says Creamer. “The passage of the farm bill ensures continued investment in programs that protect our commodities, expand market opportunities and strengthen the future of American agriculture. CFFA is proud to be a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which has played a vital role in advancing key priorities for our industry. We look forward to continuing our work with Senate leadership and remain hopeful that a final farm bill will be signed into law this year.”

CFFA says it remains committed to working with industry partners on behalf of its membership to ensure timely consideration and passage of the House’s farm bill in the Senate.

American Farmers Facing ‘Toughest Stretch in a Generation’

Following the House passage of the farm bill, Invest In Our Land Executive Director Rebecca Bartels is calling on the Senate to protect historic conservation investments and reject proposed cuts to essential programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP.

While advocating for expanded initiatives like the Conservation Reserve Program, Bartels emphasizes that policy gains are hollow without addressing the 22% workforce loss at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The statement underscores that adequate funding for field staff and engineers is critical to ensuring conservation contracts actually reach the farmers and ranchers navigating today’s volatile markets.

“From high input costs and volatile markets to increasingly destructive weather, American farmers and ranchers are navigating the toughest stretch in a generation,” she says. “Federal conservation programs are among the most effective tools they have to manage that pressure, which is why the historic, long-term conservation investment Congress made in 2022 must be protected and built upon. With today’s House action, the work shifts to the Senate, which has the opportunity to reject near-term EQIP cuts, expand the Conservation Reserve Program and codify the Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program.”

USDA Boosts Specialty Crop Grants to $275M, But $1B in Crisis Relief Remains Out of Reach

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:08:45 GMT

Earlier this week, USDA announced the availability of over $275 million in grant funding in fiscal year 2026 for the specialty crop industry through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative , the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program .

Crediting the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, USDA will provide $175 million per year for SCRI, more than double the previous amount of $80 million per year. It also increased the total funding available for SCBGP and SCMP from $85 million per year to $100 million per year starting in fiscal year 2026.

And while specialty crops welcome the grant funding, the industry is still awaiting payments from the $1 billion to support the specialty crop industry through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program announced earlier this year.

“If you go back to July of last year and the reconciliation bill — what they branded as the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ — it carried all of those tax extensions and also carried additional farm bill funding,” says Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. “So, it’s very good for this year that USDA is rolling out that farm bill funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, for block grants, for all those things.

“That money was basically farm bill money that is coming from an alternate source, but it’s money intended to show up every year to fund those very valuable programs and that’s separate and distinct from the economic crisis that specialty crops — and really all of agriculture — are facing right now, and that’s where the urgency lies,” he says.

In December of last year, USDA announced $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers, with only $1 billion earmarked for specialty crops, sugar and other unspecified commodities not covered by the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, leaving the specialty crop industry in need of billions in federal aid.

But specialty crops have yet to see a dime.

“It’s our understanding that money has been distributed,” says Quarles of the $11 billion going to program crop farmers. “The remaining [$1 billion] was to be shared between the sugar industry, specialty crops and other commodities. I don’t want to speak for the sugar industry, but I think some of that money has gone out. For specialty crops, no money has gone out. They’re still in the data-gathering stage, so not a dime has gone out under that program.”

Part of the holdup with specialty crop funding may stem from specialty crop farmers’ lack of familiarity with the process of qualifying for aid and Farm Service Agencies not equipped to receive them.

The USDA’s FSA has extended the 2025 acreage reporting deadline to April 24 for specialty crop producers seeking to qualify for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program.

“I think there were some capacity issues with FSA,” says Quarles. “Some FSA offices were very well staffed. Other were simply overwhelmed with the volume of growers who were coming in to talk to them. And that makes sense, because the specialty crop industry just hasn’t traditionally been set up to interact with FSA on a very intense basis that our program crop friends are because they’re constantly going in and updating their relationship with FSA, because that’s the conduit to a lot of these safety net programs.”

That was the first challenge that you had to get past as a specialty crop grower.

“These are horrible economic circumstances — not just for the program crops; we’re all in the same economic environment, and we really need to have a comprehensive solution that takes care of all of the vulnerable family farms out there so that they can live to experience the better environment that will be offered by tax reform policy and trade reforms,” says Quarles.

A Simple Call for More Aid

Agriculture has been waiting on an updated farm bill for a decade.

“We want to update those programs. That’s why we’re so supportive of what [House Agriculture Committee] Chairman [Glenn “GT”] Thompson is doing in starting that process and getting it out of the House Ag Committee … and we’re very hopeful it’s going to get to the president’s desk this year,” says Quarles.

Thompson is now advocating for $10 billion for row crop producers and $10 billion for specialty crop growers in farm aid.

But the process of getting funding to specialty crop farmers needs to be simplified, says Quarles.

“Specialty crops are so complicated,” he says. “They’re grown in so many different areas, in so many different circumstances.”

Quarles points to the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) as examples of programs that got the money out.

“We have been arguing: Don’t reinvent the wheel,” says Quarles. “Simplicity is your friend. Avoid the things that didn’t work.

“And we’re hopeful that that’s going to be how the administration solves this,” he continues. “We think that’s just kind of common sense. And we’re very hopeful that relief is going to get delivered.”

Quarles says specialty crops are in the same economic crisis as the rest of agriculture, and relief can’t come soon enough.

“If we get to the end of the year and there is no economic relief for specialty crops, a number of family farms will be going out of business,” he says.

Extreme Weather Pushes Specialty Crop Growers to the Brink, Groups Renew Call for Aid

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:20:51 GMT

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance joined more than 50 agricultural organizations from across the country on March 19 to urge assistance for America’s farmers. Led by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the letter to President Trump highlights impacts to America’s food production, specifically challenges faced due to market pressures, extreme winter weather and geopolitical uncertainty.

Speaking to challenges faced by specialty crop growers specifically, the letter says while investments made by USDA last year were much needed, farmers were then hit with extreme weather events in January of this year, which caused billions of dollars in losses, including major losses for fruit, vegetable and citrus crops in the Southeast. Meanwhile, in the West, a warm winter has raised concerns for irrigation water supplies in the coming months.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has sent fuel and fertilizer prices skyrocketing, has further strained the farm economy, the letter says. And maritime freight disruptions from the ongoing conflict in Iran propose “significant consequences to food security here at home and around the world.”

“The adversity facing our industry has never been greater, and it is essential that the administration strengthen and expand support for our specialty crop growers,” the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said in a statement. “Specialty crops account for one-third of all U.S. crop sales and should receive no less than one-third of any agricultural aid package. That is why we continue to call on Congress for a dedicated aid package for specialty crops of not less than $5 billion, with clear guidance for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to structure the program after President Trump’s highly successful CFAP-2 program. The future of America’s specialty crop industry depends on meaningful, proportionate support.”

The groups’ letter to Trump asks for “meaningful support for all specialty crop” growers among other farmers and ranchers.

“Without timely assistance, continued losses risk accelerating farm closures, reducing domestic production capacity and weakening the ability of farmers and ranchers across this great nation to provide food, clothes and fuel for the American people,” the letter says.

Among the more than 50 farming groups that signed the letter were numerous groups representing specialty crop interests, including the California Avocado Commission, Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Potato Council, National Watermelon Association, North American Blueberry Council, Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, Texas Citrus Mutual, U.S. Apple Association, Western Growers Association and more.

USDA Undersecretary on FBA, Additional Specialty Crop Aid

“AgriTalk’s” Chip Flory spoke with Richard Fordyce, USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation, on March 18 about the status of the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, if additional aid may be coming and what specialty crop growers can expect.

“[The Farmer Bridge Assistance Program] is rolling along really well,” Fordyce says, adding they’ve received close to 400,000 applications since Feb. 23, when applications opened. “We’re upward — getting close — to $9 billion obligated in that program out of a total of $11 billion. So, we’re well on our way to getting that finished. Folks have until April 17 to take a look at the form again. It’s prefilled. Nothing for the producer to do except sign the form.”

Flory then asked Fordyce about the $1 billion in allocation for specialty crops and sugar. Citing a Civil Eats report , which says some smaller specialty crop farmers didn’t apply for aid before the March 13 deadline because the process was too onerous, he asked the undersecretary what he’s hearing.

Fordyce says specialty crop growers interested in applying for aid were asked to report acreage and crop types by March 13.

“If folks got in, or at least notified the local FSA office that they wanted to do an acreage report, we put them on what we call ‘a register,’ and we’re going to get those … finished in the next week or two, when we know the universe of acres that will be in specialty crops. Then we’ll be able to actually calculate the payment rates and make those announcements. Then we’ll start with the implementation of that program, very similarly to the way we did the Farmer Bridge Assistance.”

Does Fordyce see momentum in Congress toward another farm support program?

“We do hear some signals that there is a desire to do some additional — to offer some additional assistance,” he says. “I just don’t know what that number would look like.”

As for specialty crop groups who are hoping for a bigger piece of the support pie if there is another round of funding, Fordyce says “it makes sense” they would get more aid.

“The split on the FBA versus the specialty crops was really due to the total impacted acres … the fact that we had some economic data [and] we were able to calculate payment rates probably a bit more representative on the Farmer Bridge Assistance,” he says. “From what I’m hearing, if there’s additional assistance coming from Congress, specialty crops would be included in that.”

Kam Quarles on the Path Toward Economic Recovery for Specialty Crops

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:25:31 GMT

It’s a challenging time for the specialty crop industry, says National Potato Council’s CEO Kam Quarles, who is one of four co-chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. Quarles joined “The Packer Podcast” to recap a week of visits on Capitol Hill with more than 100 potato growers from across the country.

“I think everyone is very focused on meeting with their members of Congress, explaining the environment right now, why it’s so dire, and then hearing from those House and Senate members: What’s the timing on an economic relief plan? What does it look like? What’s the size of it? How, ultimately, is that going to get out to family farms to keep them in business, hopefully, to get past this really ugly period?” he says.

And, of course, Quarles says another big part of the conversation was of the draft of the farm bill, which has now moved out of committee. He adds that discussions, markups and everything that goes along with getting a bill through the legislative process are key steps.

“If you never have a markup, you’re not going to get to the president’s desk,” he says.

Quarles points to the significant representation of specialty crops in this new iteration of the farm bill, commending House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson for working with the specialty crop industry to ensure it has representation in the farm bill. Quarles says this is in part due to the work of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.

“Over the last 20 years, specialty crops, the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry, has gone from really nonexistent in the farm bill to one of the fastest-growing players in the farm bill, and really one of the most valuable connections directly back to consumers from the production ag side of the farm bill,” he says.

Of the highlights of this farm bill, Quarles says, is language on how the USDA sets up economic relief for specialty crop growers and the understanding that it’s different from row crop growers.

“Specialty crops are different than program crops, and why reinvent the wheel? Just rinse and repeat,” he says. “Make sure the programs that have worked, that have kept family farms in business — reload them with new resources, and you get it out the door efficiently.”

Quarles also points to provisions in this new farm bill for whole-farm revenue insurance for specialty crop growers and funding set aside for research on mechanization to help bring the specialty crop industry into the future.

And it’s that future, Quarles says, that the farm bill needs to look toward.

“We need a reauthorized farm bill right now that is looking not only at our current circumstances but [also] hopefully 10 years out in the future,” he says. “This is an incredibly competitive world that we are in. Our producers are feeling it, and they need tools that empower their competitiveness rather than kind of hold them back to an end, to a world that really doesn’t exist anymore.”

Quarles says this farm bill is long overdue, as this current economic crisis facing farmers is more of a perfect storm. Take inflation, rising input costs from overseas imports, ag labor challenges and layer in nearly perfect weather conditions, which created a larger crop, and you have a recipe for disaster.

“You have a larger-than-average crop that was very expensive to produce, and then you have consumers on the other side who are pulling back on some of their purchases — they’re seeing a more volatile world — and so, demand has been shrinking, and all of these have caused this collision, where, for potatoes, just in the russet variety alone, we’re looking at potentially half a billion dollars in grower losses,” he says. “The American Farm Bureau did an analysis of all of the varieties of potatoes out there. They’re estimating roughly $780 million in grower losses this year, and so extrapolate that out across all of the specialty crops, and the gravity of this crisis comes into focus pretty, pretty quickly.”

Quarles says while many may point to tax changes that could provide growers relief, in the meantime, growers are still farming with the same challenges they’ve faced but now with much tighter margins.

“We’re dealing with the present, and out in the future, those policies are going to take effect; if family farms go bankrupt in that interim, none of those policy improvements are going to impact them,” he says. “They’re out of the game, and that’s exactly what we want to avoid. That’s why this economic relief program is so important to deliver it efficiently, to keep those really valuable family farms in the game until better times are realized.”

House Ag Committee Starts Farm Bill Mark Up

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:24:45 GMT

The push to get a five-year farm bill has been renewed in the House Ag Committee as Chairman G.T. Thompson released language and mark up began on Tuesday.

One Big Beautiful Bill Omits Farm Bill Titles

While some question why a new long term farm bill is needed, a cross section of the nation’s farm groups explain the bill did not cover all the titles normal included in a long-term farm bill.

“We had a lot of the provisions of the farm bill that were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill — the increase in reference prices, some changes and improvements to crop insurance, etc. But there’s still some really important aspects of the farm bill that need to be passed,” says Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association.

Sam Kieffer, chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers, points out the One Big Beautiful Bill did not touch the conservation title or reauthorize programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Nor did the legislation deal with credit or expand farm loan limits.

“It is time to give our folks some certainty when it comes to conservation programs, when it comes to credit. The cost of doing business is drastically different than it was in 2018. And the 2018 Farm Bill was based off of data from three, four years prior. So, we want to make sure that we improve the credit section of of the farm bill, get that finished,” Kieffer says.

Farm Safety Net Needed

Kieffer adds a farm bill is also needed to provide certainty to farmers and offer a farm safety net in times of negative margins.

“There’s three years of market loss that our growers are struggling with at the moment, and they’re making hard decisions. Some of them are reducing acres, some of them are letting land go and there’s a price to be paid for that as well,” Kieffer says.

House Ag Committee Language Includes Prop 12 Ag Labeling Uniformity Act

Chairman Thompson’s farm bill language includes a Ag Labeling Uniformity Act, which covers pesticide registrations, according to Censky.

“Which means that the EPA is going to have preeminence when they make a health and safety determination of a pesticide, a crop protection product. You can’t have a state adopt different rules,” Censky says.

The House language also includes a national fix to California’s strict Prop 12 sow production standards and the possible patchwork of rules in other states.

However, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) would lose around $1 billion in budget authority over the next four fiscal years under the House Agriculture Committee’s GOP farm bill draft, according to calculations by the Congressional Budget Office. EQIP was essentially used as a funding source for other priorities in the legislation.

Include Food for Peace Program

Kieffer says NAWG also wants Congress to move the Food for Peace Program to USDA in the language of the Farm Bill.

“USDA knows how to deal with farm commodities. USDA is already in the business of engaging in food aid programs globally. They have the infrastructure. They have the personnel and they understand agriculture. So, the farm bill that is ready to be moved in the house here soon has a provision that would include that,” Kieffer adds.

Senate Preparing for Farm Bill Mark Up

While the Senate Agriculture Committee has not released farm bill language or scheduled a mark-up, chairman John Boozman told Agri-Pulse his committee will take up a farm bill of its own in the coming months. Timing will be dependent in part on how debate over a House version proceeds.

Will Congress Pass a Farm Bill?

Still there’s uncertainty about the appetite for passage of a farm bill in Congress according to Tim Lust, chief executive officer of National Sorghum Producers.

“A lot of these details honestly have been negotiated for a year or two, and it’s maybe little tweaks to them, but a lot of the main things haven’t really changed. It’s a matter of how do we get that across the finish line and find a way to get it signed into law?” he says.

Why the Specialty Crop Industry is Rallying Behind the New Farm Bill

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:11:30 GMT

Last week Rep. Glen “GT” Thompson (PA-15), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, released a farm bill draft titled the “Farm, Food and National Security Act”. While the bill still needs to be approved in the House Agriculture Committee and sent to the floor for a vote, Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and co-chair of Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, says this iteration of the farm bill is markedly different from 20 years ago, when specialty crops had to fight for a seat at the legislative table.

“It’s been a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, really, to get the whole industry on the same page so that we could have the opportunity to be in the chairman’s mark in a meaningful way,” Quarles says.

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance released its own statement in support of the bill .

A Unified Voice for U.S. Growers

Quarles says this is due to the work of the entire Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance to align the industry to advocate for the specialty crop industry’s interests in the farm bill. He points to Mike Stuart, former president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, who helped push the industry to come together “to just get the industry all speaking with one voice about the farm bill.”

He adds this work to push for specialty crops’ interests in each conversation around the farm bill has paid dividends. Specialty crops’ role in the farm bill has residual effects on economic relief packages, which are built on the structure of the farm bill, all to benefit family farms in the fresh produce industry.

“I think it has created real value, not just for our industry, but for policymakers and, ultimately, for the consumers that we serve,” he says. “I’m incredibly proud of the evolution. It’s been great to see the entire story arc of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.”

Three Keys to a Competitive Future

Quarles points to three sections of the farm bill that could have a tremendous impact on the specialty crop industry. The first is economic relief, he says, which codifies the direct-payment methods developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To have that policy there for USDA to say, ‘We don’t have to think about this. We know what works, reload it and go.’ It’s going to keep farms in business,” he says.

Second is the farm bill’s attempt to provide risk management tools for specialty crops to provide a safety net for family farms.

“That is an incredibly important thing, likely transformational for the specialty crop industry,” he says. “That, if there is a single thing in this bill, if they get that right, that is going to really impact, in a positive way, the health of the specialty crop industry. It’s having those tools available to farms that want to use them.”

Lastly is a focus on mechanization and technology to help improve efficiency and make family farms more competitive.

“If we’re able to get some dedicated mechanization research, AI … those kinds of things are really costly to do for specialty crops, just because you have so many variations in the commodities,” he says. “If the federal government can go into partnership on some of that research, I think that can be really transformational as well.”

The Imperative of Modernizing an Aging Policy

But, for now, Quarles says the most important part of the farm bill is getting it to the finish line. He says agriculture is now working under a farm bill created in 2016 and enacted in 2018.

“Effectively, you have a farm bill that’s looking a decade in the past, trying to serve an industry that has massively changed in that decade,” he says. “We need the inverse of that. We need a farm bill that is modernized, that is written for today but is also looking 10 years into the future.”

He says the approach to the lifespan of a farm bill may change in the future, too. Gone are the days of a four-year cycle. The farm bill might need to look more to the future with legislation. While there are a lot of unknowns in the future, the farm bill can still help prepare the industry for what’s to come.

“Providing the flexibility, the foresight of U.S. agricultural policy, to deal with potentially a decade of life for a farm bill is going to benefit us substantially,” he says.

Quarles, too, says that while the U.S. is operating under an aging farm bill, which is in desperate need of updates, the rest of the world is moving forward at full steam ahead.

“Our competitors around the world, they’re not waiting,” he says. “Often, we’re not competing against foreign farmers. We’re competing against foreign farmers and their governments, and those governments are investing heavily, and one of their goals is to put the U.S. out of business. We can’t allow that to happen. A farm bill has to empower not only the specialty crop industry, but all of U.S. agriculture. To me, that’s the imperative of getting it updated.”

Although the farm bill still has several more stops in its journey to becoming law, Quarles says he really wants to see the bill move out of committee and onto the floor with bipartisan support.

“We are three years behind when we should have had a farm bill done,” he says. “We’ve got to get this process moving, and to have such a good bill, in our opinion, come out of the chairman’s initial offer to the committee, I think that really speaks well of all of the work that’s been done on a bipartisan basis.”

He says that while there could be a potential for markups to change the farm bill, he’s also quick to point out the specialty crop industry shouldn’t take its eye off the ball.

“Chairman Thompson is doing everything under his power to generate the best farm bill he possibly can, get it out of committee, pass it through committee and send it to the House floor,” he says. “I think the things that we can control are making it clear to every member of the House Agriculture Committee the benefits that are embedded within this bill for the specialty crop industry.”

He also says those in the fresh produce industry communicate with members of the House and Senate agriculture committees to voice support for this farm bill.

“We feel that this is a very worthy bill to move forward,” he says. “I think people really know what the solutions are there. And moving this urgently, efficiently through the House Agriculture Committee and getting it to the House floor, that’s the entire exercise right now.”

And he reiterates the role the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has played in bringing the collective interests of the industry together to ensure that, regardless of a lawmaker’s location, each hears the same strategic priorities.

“The ability for a member of Congress from California or Florida to hear the same priorities as a member from Maine or North Dakota,” he says. “For them to all be on the same page, it makes it that much more likely that we’re going to get these beneficial policies that we’ve all rallied around.”

Bipartisan Specialty Crops Caucus Calls for Immediate Action on $1B in Farm Aid

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 13:48:08 GMT

The Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus, a bipartisan group of more than 100 members of Congress, sent a letter to the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees on Dec. 18 calling for the immediate release of the $1 billion in USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Program aid earmarked for specialty crop producers. The entire amount of the recently announced farm aid was $12 billion, with $11 billion going to row crops.

The effort was led by Specialty Crop Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Jim Costa, D-Calif.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.; and David Valadao, R-Calif.

Moments before the letter was sent, The Packer spoke with Rebeckah Freeman Adcock, vice president of U.S. government relations for the International Fresh Produce Association, about why the letter was necessary and what IFPA and Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance hope it will achieve.

“First and foremost, we are working with USDA to make the case for the $1 billion that is available for our use, but we know that’s not enough,” Adcock says. “Quite frankly, the $12 billion is not enough for agriculture in general, and USDA knows that, it’s just this is what they have.

“IFPA and others have done a big push on this letter with our grassroots and our member leaders to make sure that congressional offices understand how serious this is, especially for certain growers … If we’re not taking care of our core production on the North American continent, which is very much [specialty crops], things are going to begin showing up in very bad ways,” she adds.

Without adequate federal aid, what’s at stake for specialty crop producers?

“We’ve already seen bankruptcies,” Adcock says. “We’ve seen consolidations — and there’s multiple factors that contribute to that … but the bottom line is, many operations that are purely production are struggling, and they’re struggling for a variety of factors, labor being the biggest one.

“If you’re turning a profit or able to just manage escalating and inflationary costs for inputs and many other things, but you can still pull together a price that could make up for that, it makes sense,” she adds. “But when your labor costs have gone up 47% to 65% … and your profit margin was 10%, you’re done. You’re out. You’re upside down.”

SCFBA says specialty crops — including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery, greenhouse, and floriculture products — generate more than $75 billion annually in U.S. agricultural cash receipts, account for more than one-third of all U.S. crop sales and support rural economies nationwide.

Yet, SCFBA says, under the current USDA farm aid framework, $11 billion is allocated to row crops while only $1 billion is reserved for specialty crops and other commodities, with key details on eligibility, payment formulas and timing still unresolved.

“After months of uncertainty, specialty crop growers urgently need clarity and meaningful relief, and we appreciate the Specialty Crop Caucus for elevating this issue and making clear that specialty crops must be included in any relief package for American agriculture,” the co-chairs of the SCFBA say in a news release. “Specialty crops are both an economic engine and the source of the most nutritious foods in the American diet, but current policies fail to reflect their importance to public health and food security.

“Specialty crop growers cannot afford further delay, and we urge congressional leadership and the administration to move immediately to deliver proportional, transparent, and timely relief that reflects the economic significance and unique cost structures of specialty crop agriculture,” say the SCFBA co-chairs.

What response does Adcock hope the letter receives?

“I think the response we will get is going to be an acknowledgement of what we’ve already started: to really hear from Congress, both House and Senate, that they know ag needs more, and they know specialty crops are as critical as the rest,” she says. “It’s building the case that’s already begun and just putting it on paper … to make sure that when we’re talking about additional aid — additional bridge opportunities to get agriculture through to a better day — we’re on the record saying specialty crops have to be a meaningful part of that.”

Your next read: Specialty Crops in Crisis: Will They Receive the Farm Aid They Need

Specialty Crops in Crisis: Will They Receive the Farm Aid They Need?

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:13:55 GMT

Specialty crop growers are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, with the National Potato Council reporting potential losses of $500 million for russet potatoes alone this year.

While the USDA recently announced $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers, only $1 billion was earmarked for specialty crops, sugar and other unspecified commodities not covered by the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, leaving the industry in need of billions in federal aid.

“We throw the word ‘unprecedented’ around a lot, but in this case, it really is unprecedented,” says Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance , adding that farmers, including growers of specialty crops, are in economic crisis.

“Just for the russet variety of potatoes alone, we’re looking at potentially half a billion dollars in losses this year,” he says.

Losses brought about by what Quarles calls a “multi-layered perfect storm” of substantially higher input prices on pesticides and fertilizer, soaring ag labor costs and a bumper crop of potatoes at a time when major players in the global marketplace are pulling back on purchases in reaction to softness in the global economy.

“You’ve got a big crop that was expensive to grow, coupled with some uncertainty with substantial players, customers, not purchasing at the pace they normally would be. It’s simple supply and demand,” he says. “You’ve got more supply out there than the demand can support, and that is a pretty common refrain, not just for our commodity but really across agriculture right now.”

Kam Quarles is CEO of the National Potato Council and a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.

(Photo courtesy of the National Potato Council)

Why were specialty crops largely excluded from the USDA’s farm aid package?

“I think the administration is dealing with a difficult situation in that they just don’t have enough resources to cover the need; the scope of what’s facing us and not just specialty crops, obviously, but nearly all of us in agriculture,” Quarles says.

The difference between program crops and specialty crops is also a factor.

“Program crops are called program crops for a reason. They have government programs supporting them,” he says. “Specialty crops do not. And those program crops also have a futures market underpinning each one of those commodities, so it’s very easy to structure a trigger for government relief when they see substantial price declines in a particular commodity, then the government will kick in and help those producers.

“Specialty crops don’t have any of those futures markets, so it was relatively simple to construct a process to get that $11 billion of the $12 billion out the door to the program crops,” he continues. “It’s much more complicated to deal with specialty crops that have never been structured in the way that program crops are to be a partner with the government.”

Will There Be More Funding for Specialty Crops in 2025?

Following the USDA announcement of farm aid, the International Fresh Produce Association and its CEO Cathy Burns, who is also a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, encouraged its members to influence agricultural policy and support specialty crop growers by helping to circulate a “Dear Colleague” letter urging agriculture committee leaders to deliver targeted economic aid for specialty crop growers and to press USDA to release the $1 billion slated for non-FBA commodities.

“We recognized that the administration was not going to have access to enough money,” Quarles says. “We knew what that universe looked like, and that the universe wasn’t big enough, so we assumed that we were going to have to go back to Congress and make our case for a much bigger second round of funding.”

How much additional funding is needed?

Quarles says specialty crops need between $4 billion and $5 billion, but as they represent roughly 33% of U.S. ag crop production, it stands to reason specialty crops would receive about a third of whatever additional funds are distributed.

To see those funds delivered, specialty crops will need to attach the relief to something that will get to the president’s desk and be signed.

“Around here, we call it a ‘must pass vehicle,’ something that Congress has to deal with,” he says. “Introducing a bill that is perfect but has no chance of getting the votes in either the House or the Senate is a useless exercise. You’ve got to attach it to something that’s going to go.

“A huge amount of the focus right now is: how do we get the number right from Congress, and how do we get it to the president’s desk?” he adds.

Quarles and fellow Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance co-chairs, including Burns; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, along with other industry leaders, have a track record of making specialty crop farmers’ voices heard and getting funded.

“Over several different farm bills, we have been very good at just wrapping our arms around the entire specialty crop industry and unifying our voices around big issues,” says Quarles, pointing to the MASC (Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops) program as an example of something that wasn’t farm bill related but was structured in a way that worked for policy makers.

“We’re doing that exact same thing right now in terms of this big specialty crop relief package,” he says. “It’s not technically a Farm Bill Alliance effort, because it’s not — it’s not a farm bill that’s going to carry it — but it’s all the same players, all the same structure of communication and coordination that has worked so well for the industry in the past.

“We were able to get, very successfully, to the finish line on the MASC payments back in July, he continues,” he adds. “We’ve been able also to deliver our wins on farm bills in the past. We know how to get these things done. It starts with data. We have to be able to explain our situation and the causes of it to the policy makers as well as to the public. We’re doing that, and I think we’re doing it pretty effectively right now.”

Quarles says specialty crops working together is also critical to success.

“Anybody who thinks a single commodity is going to go pull some kind of rabbit out of their hat through one-off efforts is kidding themselves,” he says. “This is going to be all of specialty crops, and really all of agriculture, providing the support to the House and Senate … to give them our best advice on what that top line number needs to be. And then, certainly, we’ve got to be out there justifying why this is so important at this time — all of the national security and affordability implications of what’s going on here.”

In terms of when relief is coming for specialty crop farmers, Quarles says in an election year with a short runway to bring attention to this issue, the pressure is on.

“There’s a lot of work that’s going on right now before the year is out, and when we get back right after New Year’s, I think it is going to be a dead sprint, with all of these policymakers on the Hill, to get this thing done,” he says.

$12B Farm Aid Package Leaves Out Specialty Crops

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:32:28 GMT

The USDA announced Monday that it will make $12 billion available in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to “temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.”

Of the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which provides broad relief to U.S. row crop farmers, according to a news release.

USDA says the remaining $1 billion of the $12 billion in bridge payments will be reserved for commodities not covered in the FBA Program, “such as specialty crops and sugar, for example, though details including timelines for those payments are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.”

In response, the co-chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance issued the following statement:

“We are disappointed that specialty crop growers were not included in today’s announcement. As we wrote to the President on October 6, 2025 , family farms that produce safe and nutritious fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, as well as cultivate the trees, flowers, and plants that play a vital role in the nation’s health and wellbeing, continue to face unprecedented economic challenges.

“We stand ready to work with the administration and Congress to advance a meaningful assistance package to support specialty crop growers during this difficult period.”

A national coalition of more than 150 organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy.

The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.

Another Temporary Fix: Stopgap Bill Includes Farm Bill Extension — Is This the New Normal for Ag Policy?

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:01:18 GMT

A new stopgap spending bill to reopen the government also extends key Farm Bill programs for one year—covering the provisions left out of July’s budget package. While the Senate waits on the House to vote, it brings up what some economists think may be a new reality: the days of passing a comprehensive Farm Bill may be over, and a piecemeal approach could be the new norm in Washington.

It’s been about 6 years and 11 months since Congress passed a new, comprehensive (5-year) farm bill. This week, the continuing resolution (CR), which funds the federal government through January 30, includes an extension of the current farm bill, again. This prevents outdated “permanent law” provisions from taking effect. Without action, those Depression-era statutes could have triggered mandatory price supports for certain commodities, disrupting markets.

The bill also includes an extension of the U.S. Grain Standards Act, ensuring official grain inspection and weighing services continue without interruption.

Senate Votes 60–40 to Advance the Measure

The Senate advanced the package in a 60–40 vote Sunday night, providing farmers relief from uncertainty over whether core safety-net programs might lapse.

An earlier package dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” increased funding for commodity programs, crop insurance, and export promotion, but it left out several smaller and conservation-related initiatives—including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The new CR temporarily fills that gap while Congress works toward a full Farm Bill reauthorization.

Boozman: “Critical USDA Services Resume”

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, praised the bill’s passage, emphasizing its importance for both producers and rural communities.

“Ending the government shutdown ensures critical USDA services resume so vulnerable families no longer experience disruptions to nutrition benefits, farmers can access the programs and personnel they rely on to keep their operations running efficiently and disaster assistance is delivered,” Boozman said in a statement.“We advanced long-overdue farm bill policy improvements in the One Big Beautiful Bill, including enhanced risk management tools farmers have been calling for, and we’re continuing work to reauthorize other key initiatives. Extending the farm bill and the U.S. Grain Standards Act gives us more time to finalize these programs essential to farmers, ranchers and rural America.”

Is This the New Norm?

The extension buys lawmakers additional time to complete a comprehensive Farm Bill reauthorization, expected to be one of the top legislative priorities in early 2026.

But the loss of urgency to pass a new, comprehensive five-year farm bill may be due to the fact Congress included key enhancements to the Farm Safety Net in the One Big Beautiful Bill earlier this year. The Farm Journal Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists in July if that makes it more difficult or easier to pass a Farm Bill this year. 70% said yes. And in September, the Monthly Monitor asked when Congress will pass a new farm bill. Nearly 40% (39%) said a piecemeal approach for passing the farm bill is the new norm.

According to the Congressional Research Service, Sections 10101 and 10108 (Title I, Agriculture) would increase federal outlays by about $52.3 billion + $1.6 billion over 10 years.

The American Farm Bureau Federation says the bill directs about $65.6 billion in new agricultural investment over 10 years: ~$59 billion for core farm safety-net enhancements, ~$6.6 billion for other ag priorities.

Key Farm Bill-style Provisions in the OBBB

Here’s a breakdown of major provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that impact legislation within the Farm Bill:

1. Extension & enhancement of commodity support / safety-net programs

The bill extends core programs originally in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) through crop year 2031.
Reference prices under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program are raised.
The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program’s revenue guarantee is increased (for example, from 86% to 90%) and maximum payment rates increased.
Marketing Assistance Loan rates are increased.
The bill provides a one-time opportunity for eligible producers to update base acres (“new base acre holdings”).

2. Crop insurance and disaster assistance

Premium subsidies for crop insurance increase; the bill boosts coverage levels for the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policies.
Disaster assistance programs are expanded: loss types eligible are broadened, thresholds for payment triggers are lowered, and coverage levels increased.

3. Dairy, sugar, and specialty commodities

For dairy: The bill increases the amount of milk production a producer can enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. Also, it requires dairy product manufacturers to report cost/yield data so that “make allowances” under the federal milk marketing order system can be updated.
For sugar: Under the sugar support program, priority is given to sugar-beet processors if marketing allotments are raised; the bill also mandates reallocation of tariff-rate quota shortfalls by March 1 and requires USDA to report on refined sugar imports.

4. Agricultural research, animals, trust funds, and miscellaneous programs

Section 10108 of the bill funds: the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, National Animal Disease Preparedness Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank.
Extends funding for trust funds supporting pima cotton, wool, certain textile, and citrus industries.
Miscellaneous investments in horticulture, energy (for agriculture), trade promotion, and rural infrastructure also included.

While nothing is easy in Washington, it seems addressing portions of farm bill funding within other legislation is the path of least resistance. Which could change the way farm bills are shaped - and passed through Congress- in the years ahead.

Opposition to the Farm Bill Extension

While most farm groups applaud the one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) says it comes with potential issues for small and medium size farmers.

“The Senate’s deal to reopen the government has a number of problems that will hurt farmers and rural communities. The Senate attaches a 12-month Farm Bill extension to the deal, setting up the possibility for more chaos just a year from now,” says Michael Happ, Program Associate for Climate and Rural Communities. “Even worse, it is not a clean extension. The text proposes eliminating payment limitations for Farm Bill conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In most years, well over half of applicants to EQIP are turned away due to a lack of funds — and without payment limits, the USDA will likely issue fewer, larger EQIP contracts. By getting rid of the payment limit, the Senate opens the door for more of EQIP’s finite resources to be diverted to the largest operations while more small and midscale farms are closed out.”

IATP is urging the Senate needs to keep payment limits in place and go back to the negotiating table.

What Are the Odds of Congress Passing a Farm Bill 2.0 and Trade Aid Package in 2025?

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:20:48 GMT

When it comes to getting a new farm bill done in 2025, U.S. farmers might have to settle for the farm bill provisions passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Despite the renewed push from farm groups and both House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to get a comprehensive or even a skinny farm bill done yet in 2025, some Washington insiders are doubtful it can get passed this year or even next year.

The House and Senate Ag Committees are planning to work on language yet this fall on a Farm bill 2.0., but at least one Washington ag lobbyist thinks it will be difficult to get passed.

Jay Truitt, principal with Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expects objections to the high price tag by those outside of agriculture.

Cost is the Sticking Point

“They’re still asking why it costs so much ... they don’t understand not all the programs are permanent, and even the programs that are permanent are way different than what permanent law reads,” he says. “People don’t really get that outside of ag — they just see the big numbers.”

Truitt says there will be party line battles as well over the remaining farm bill titles, the biggest being nutrition, which accounts for over 80% of farm bill expenditures.

“We’re going to have a fight over SNAP versus program dollars for agriculture research and market development,” he explains.

Farm Aid Inclusion Could Further Stall a New Farm Bill

Plys, what if the agriculture committees try to include farm aid?

In 2019, the Market Facilitation Program cost $23 billion. Truitt says any dollar amount at or above that level in the farm bill would be scrutinized by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“To do a farm bill and to do an aid package that deals with how China has disrupted trade all over the world, especially in grains and oil seeds, that’s a bridge too far,” he speculates.

Where Could Farm Aid Funding Come From?

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told RFD-TV this week USDA is releasing another $13 billion of aid payments in the next six to eight weeks, as part of the $30 billion Congress passed for disaster and market assistance.

However, as far as additional farm aid payments to compensate for the trade war with China, Truitt says Rollins would need to take that out of the Commodity Credit Corporation.

The other option that has been suggested to fund payments, such as the $23 billion producers saw in 2019 as part of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), is tariff revenues.

But Truitt says the agriculture secretary doesn’t have discretion to use those dollars.

“She can’t just reach over into the general revenue pot and spend that money without Congress giving her some authority somehow,” he adds.

If aid is included in a skinny farm bill, the fight could get drug out even longer. That’s why Truitt thinks Congress will have difficulty passing the legislation next year, and the debate could even get pushed into 2027.

59% of Ag Economists Think Congress Won’t Pass a New Farm Bill Until 2026

Thu, 08 May 2025 20:25:18 GMT

It’s a contentious battle continuing to play out in Congress. Two years overdue, Congress still hasn’t passed a new farm bill, and as the calendar approaches the half-way point of 2025, optimism of passing a farm bill this year is waning.

The April Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found most agricultural economists think it could be 2026 before we see Congress finally pass a new bill. One reason why, according to agricultural economists, is the fact Congress passed $10 billion in financial relief payments late last year.

The April Monthly Monitor asked the nearly 70 ag economists surveyed each month when they think Congress will pass a new farm bill:

59% said 2026
24% think it won’t happen until 2027
18% said the second half of 2025.

April Ag Economists’ Monthly Montior

(Lindsey Pound)

None of the economists think Congress will pass a new farm bill in the first half of 2025. The survey also asked economists, “Does the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) program make it more difficult for Congress to pass a new farm bill this year?

62% said yes
38% responded no.

Most major agricultural groups argue that the current farm bill is outdated. Passed in 2018, it was designed to cover five years. Congress has passed an extension for two straight years that’s helped agriculture limp along, but another extension might not suffice in addressing the current financial pain being felt on the farm, especially for cotton and rice farmers.

Other Hurdles for Passing a Farm Bill in 2025

Even with the GOP in control of the House and Senate, it’s no secret one of the main obstacles in passing a new farm bill, or any bill in Washington, is the budget.

The April Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists what are the biggest hurdles in passing a new farm bill, the top response was budget. But economists also say Congress is racing against a calendar, and deeper cuts to SNAP could end up hurting agriculture priorities in the end. One economist even argued ARC and PLC just aren’t effective programs.

“The farm bill just isn’t as important to the administration as is getting their policy agenda through Congress,” said one economist.
“The budget. If farm legislation is approved in 2025, it will likely be part of the budget reconciliation bill and passed without Democratic support, meaning increased support for farmers is provided by deeper cuts in SNAP. Only if that effort collapses is there any real possibility of a bipartisan farm bill,” said another economist in the anonymous survey.
“In general, Congress has difficulty passing any legislation. This is very detrimental to the long-run health of U.S. agriculture and the U.S. economy. We simply have to address entitlements and deficit spending in the next few years.”
“If the new farm bill has to have no new spending similar to the 2018 farm bill, then which title wins and which title loses is the biggest fight,” an economist said in the April survey.
“They have to be working on a bill first. Currently, I do not think a bill is even in the works,” said another economist.
“Pushing back on SNAP,” stated an economist.

Bottom line: The likelihood of passing a farm bill this year is low. Both the Senate and House Committees say it’s a top priority and are working behind the scenes to get a farm bill passed this year, but similar bottlenecks remain, which are a lack of additional funding and a polarized Congress. Debates were heated this week, and the blame game continues. Until Congress can find a way to compromise on Title I and SNAP, the stalemate could continue.

Concerns About a Recession in Agriculture

The farm economy doesn’t seem to be improving. The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows agricultural economists are also growing more pessimistic about the ag economy. The April survey found 72% of ag economists say the row crop side of agriculture is in a recession, up from 62% last month. Eighty-two percent of economists also think this could force more consolidation in agriculture.

NPC CEO says it's too early to react to ag research funding cuts

Mon, 05 May 2025 19:01:27 GMT

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced his proposed budget cuts for FY2026, which include cuts to the USDA and research. Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, said it’s too early for those in the specialty crop industry to be concerned.

“This is the president’s budget request,” he said. “For it to become reality, Congress has to agree with it. Part of our responsibility is to interact both with the administration who wrote these cuts up and also with Congress to explain to them the potential very significant negative impact that could come from if indeed vital ag research is lost in these programs.”

Quarles said that agriculture research is a vital lifeline for specialty crops.

“Agricultural Research is not something that you can just flip a switch and turn off and then a few months or a few years from now, turn that switch back on, like a factory, and everything runs again,” he said. “It does not work that way. The impact to the family farm that results from that type of chaotic, chaotic lurching from one direction to another is far more lost than gained.”

Quarles said, though, it’s still too early to truly understand the impact of these proposed cuts to the specialty crop industry. He also added he and his counterparts in similar roles will decipher the budget cut impacts in the very near future to better help Congress and the administration to understand its potential impacts.

“Agriculture research on a bipartisan basis is something that Capitol Hill can really value,” he said. “Truly, it is our American innovation, through this valuable research, that is going to be so competitive against a lot of up-and-coming developing nations, or more developed nations, who just flat out want to run us out of our own market, as well as export markets.”

But Quarles said it’s not a time to panic, noting “Freaking out is not really a strategy.”

He said focusing on the true value of research in future messaging will be a critical argument to make.

“I think it’s important that we get the numbers and understand what is truly being talked about, and then to the extent that we should have valuable research for agriculture impact, I think that our responsibility could really be to respond to the administration with a cost-benefit analysis,” he said. “It’s my feeling that in most of those instances, the cost of making these cuts will far and away overwhelm the minor benefits of slashing them. This agricultural research is of tremendous value, not just to the family farm but to consumers throughout the United States and around the world.”

Quarles also spoke about the likelihood of a new farm bill, noting it’s unlikely the agriculture industry will see a comprehensive farm bill soon. Instead, he sees the reconciliation bill as a potential avenue to add in some ag program resources, which would benefit the specialty crop industry.

“[Chairman Bozeman and Chairman Thompson] are looking at things like enhancing some of the program or updating some of the program resources,” he said.

More than 500 organizations call for new farm bill

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 21:49:06 GMT

The American Farm Bureau Federation says that it and more than 500 organizations representing agriculture, nutrition, conservation, the environment, rural development and more sent a letter to congressional leaders to call for the passage of a new, modernized farm bill.

The organizations sent the letter to leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees and ranking members of both chambers, according to a news release.

“If Congress does not come together this year to enact a bipartisan farm bill, the legislative process will begin anew in the 119th Congress,” the groups wrote. “Given the significant legislative, and possibly administrative, duties of a new Congress including the seating of new leadership and committees, Senate nominations, and other essential actions during the first months of the 119th Congress, we have concerns that it may not be logistically or politically feasible to advance a new farm bill early in the next Congress. As committed stakeholders and beneficiaries of the farm bill, we cannot continue to wait for updated policies, provisions, initiatives and critical funding that support our collective interests.”

In the release, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said the power of 500 groups, often with competing agendas, highlights the urgency of the passing of a new farm bill.

“We’ve experienced a pandemic, record-high inflation, global unrest and supply chain issues since the current farm bill passed,” he said. “It’s time lawmakers work in a bipartisan manner and agree on a new farm bill that addresses challenges and looks to the future to ensure America’s families continue to have access to the safest, most affordable food, fiber and fuel in the world.”

Will Europe's Farmer Protests Make Their Way To The U.S.?

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:11:09 GMT

In case you haven’t heard, farmers across Europe are fed up with their politicians and bureaucrats telling them how to farm. Such sentiment is nothing new. What is new is that the level of frustration has grown to the point where thousands of farmers are taking to the streets with their 15-ton tractors and marching to the capitals and major cities of European countries to give government officials a message: enough already.

For those of us old enough to remember, this moment has a bit of historical déjà vu to it. Flash back to the late 1970s when on this side of the pond, Washington, D.C. was stormed by thousands of farmers driving their tractors to protest critically low commodities prices, higher input costs, falling land values and rising interest rates. This was the warning shot signaling even more dire times to come as the farm crisis of the 1980s followed.

Now, nearly 45 years later, the flame still burns. But this time the fire is taking off in Europe. The ingredients for the discontent are much the same—low prices, costly inputs, high interest rates and so forth. However, the recipe has added an ingredient that has quickly become the biggest fly in the soup as far as European farmers are concerned.

Policy Pushback
The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives established by the European Commission. Its overarching aim is to make the European Union (EU) climate-neutral by 2050. For European farmers, one of the most controversial components of the deal was the goal to reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide use by 50% by 2030. That, combined with plans to idle more farmland to increase land biodiversity and forests, along with very little funding directed to farmers to facilitate and harbor such a transition, set the stage for a revolt.

From Berlin and Paris to Brussels and Bucharest, European farmers have driven their tractors to the streets in protest in recent weeks. In Germany, an estimated 30,000 protestors and thousands of tractors brought Berlin’s city centre “to a standstill” in mid-January due to dissatisfaction with the government over the cutting of agricultural fuel subsidies. The protests in France erupted over plans to reduce agricultural fuel subsidies and the government’s push to halve pesticide use by the end of this decade.

The situation escalated to a point where farmers sprayed manure on a local government building in the city of Dijon. In Paris, hundreds of tractors blocked off major roads into the country’s capital in what was called the “siege of Paris” by many media outlets—one of which being BBC News.

By mid-February, protests had spread to other European countries including Italy, Greece, Belgium, Poland, Spain and even Romania and Lithuania. There seems to be no sign of this fire going out any time soon. All the politicians can hope for is that springtime and Mother Nature will draw the farmers and their tractors back to their fields to sow their spring crops and allow the political firestorm to cool off.

But hope is not a strategy, and European farmers know it. Now the question may be how much of the “green gains” are EU’s leaders willing to concede in order to save their political hide. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, now intends to scrap the plan to halve pesticide use. It also decided to exclude the agricultural sector from the strict timeline for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% before 2040. In Germany, farmers gained some concessions from the government on the issue of fuel subsidies but continue their demand for full reinstatement. On Feb. 1 in France, the main farmer unions called for an end to the protests after “securing promises of governmental assistance” on finance and regulatory issues. And in the EU’s home base, farmers “won their first concession from Brussels” after the commission proposed to delay rules for setting aside land for biodiversity.

Whether it is luck, strategy or irony on the part of the farmers, Europe’s reassessment of its climate policies comes as the bloc approaches EU parliamentary elections in June. The elections are expected to bring more far-right and fringe lawmakers into Parliament. Already, the continent’s political pundits are saying the next political cycle (2024-29) “will undoubtedly be less green to the point of putting into question the implementation of the green new deal.” Plus, the recent protests “are just a prelude of the further clashes to come.”

Too Many Sticks, Too Few Carrots
Will this fire jump the pond, and could we once again see tractors showing up on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.? Need I remind you, it is an election year here, too.

It is unfair and unwise to think farmers—no matter the continent where they live—are going to carry the costs of going green on their backs alone. At some point, all this needs to stop being an academic exercise and become an economic one. Start paying more to the farmer for carbon credits. Provide the tax incentives to finance the transition to “greener” farms. And stop with the rhetoric that burping cows are going to cause the next apocalypse.

Down on the farm in the U.S., the green agenda is at a crossroads. The question will be whether we will make the same mistakes Europe did and try to drive a green agenda too fast with a stick-heavy approach. The first litmus test may come sooner rather than later as Congress still has a new farm bill to pass. It is expected to be the “greenest” farm bill on record. This election year, given what’s happening in Europe, will our politicians pile on the carrots instead of giving us more sticks? Come November election time, we will see which road we are headed down.

Produce advocates press Congress about next farm bill

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:36:55 GMT

The clock is ticking on the next farm bill. With the 2018 farm law expiring on Sept. 30, 2023, Congress is drafting a new farm bill that will determine the next five years of agricultural policy in the U.S.

As the deadline looms, specialty crop growers are continuing to advocate for their needs in the omnibus bill.

In a hearing last week titled, “How the Farm Bill Works for Specialty Crop Producers,” growers representing the International Fresh Produce Association and Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance relayed key farm bill priorities to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research.

Related news: Farm Bill Will Not See an Increase in Funds

“The farm bill is the single greatest investment in the produce and floral industries and is up for reauthorization every five years,” IFPA Vice President of U.S. Government Relations Rebeckah Adcock said in a news release. “Fresh produce comes together with our like-minded allies to advocate for policies that keep specialty crops competitive and provide the most nutritious, safe and delicious products to American families.

Association members that have firsthand experience with policies that work and those that do not are the most effective advocates to congressional members as they head into farm bill negotiations, Adcock said.

Key policies in the 2023 farm bill, according to produce advocates

Topping the list of priorities affecting the produce industry, according to the June 7 testimony, are research, crop insurance, conservation and the climate, nutrition, the Specialty Crop Block Grants initiative, organics and trade.

Added to this, Diana Kobus, executive director of Pennsylvania Certified Organic and an Organic Trade Association member, underlined that “the organic specialty crop community has an outsized regulatory burden for doing right by us all.”

In her testimony, Kobus urged congressional leaders to add additional sources of permanent funding for specialty crop and organic research, to incentivize new organic producers by streamlining and simplifying the certification cost-share programs, and to improve crop insurance programs.

“While there were improvements made to programs that support crop insurance for organic producers in the 2018 farm bill, such as fully funding the Organic Data Collection program, there is still room for improvement as crop insurance continues to not fit the work of a lot of organic producers, especially specialty crop growers,” Kobus said in her testimony.

Chris Alonzo, a third-generation mushroom grower and owner of Pietro Industries, pressed for inclusion of fresh mushrooms in the upcoming farm bill, stressing that research is key to the sector’s long-term success.

“Too perishable to import or export overseas, fresh mushrooms are a national commodity and should be treasured,” Alonzo said in his testimony. “Mushroom farmers are truly feeding America, and your support of research through the farm bill will strengthen this agricultural legacy for many years to come.

Charles Wingard, vice president of field operations at Walter P. Rawl & Co., provided testimony on behalf of IFPA, the produce industry and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance . Wingard shared his perspective on several topics where federal policies and programs significantly affect specialty crops.

“The current implementation of AGI (adjusted gross income) limitations disproportionately prohibits specialty crop producers from participating in certain USDA programs in a meaningful way and potentially inhibits specialty crop producers from participating in disaster programs,” Wingard said in his testimony.

This topic has surfaced for the industry most recently in the aftermath of the atmospheric river events in California earlier this year.

“USDA programs that require a means test for participation should be based on income derived from farming and be flexible enough to account for the variety of structures, accounting methods and other special considerations for specialty crop producers, not just their AGI,” Wingard continued.

Related news: Why you need to understand adjusted gross income

Additionally, Wingard advocated for inclusion of the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“Specialty Crop Research Initiative addresses the critical needs of our industry by awarding grants that support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional, contained environment and organic production systems,” he said in his testimony.

Wingard also highlighted ways in which the farm bill intersects with the realities of production. Specifically, he called out the recent Environmental Protection Agency announcement to revoke registration of the herbicide DCPA without any available alternatives to growers like himself.

“To effectively serve the specialty crop industry and American consumers, we need mechanisms in place that can fast track research and approval of crop protection tools,” he said. “Both USDA’s Office of Pesticide Management Policy and the IR4 Project are key voices for specialty crop producers working with EPA on these issues and I implore you to elevate their mission and ensure their stable and robust funding.”

USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum packs 30 panels and keynotes in 2 days

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:56:45 GMT

Whoever said that hybrid conferences were laid back hasn’t been to the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. With only two days of programming, the USDA has a jam-packed, choose-your-own-adventure forum that offers insights and updates from the department.

While the event is held in-person at the Crystal Gateway Marriot in Arlington, Va., from Feb. 23-24, attendees can enjoy the full lineup of panels, keynotes and luncheon topics from their laptop. Participants for the 99th annual forum include producers, processors, policymakers, government officials and nongovernmental organizations.

Even delivered online over a livestream, the mood of open collaboration, creative problem-solving and clear-eyed optimism resonated on opening day of the conference.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the forum on Thursday and participated in panels throughout the first day. Thursday’s forum focused on a range of topics such as labor, climate-smart commodities, trade, data, supply chain challenges, food prices, drought and forestry.

“So, as you know in this big country, we are all connected by food and fuel and materials,” USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small said in opening remarks. “Secretary Vilsack believes that there is a better option than get big or get out. He knows that we can support the folks who’ve been working so hard and answering our call to produce more efficiently by investing in the solutions that they’re already forging on the ground, like more and better markets.”

Related news: Top 10 Charts from the Kickoff of USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum

The second day of the Agricultural Outlook Forum is set to be another packed in day of diverse talks and keynotes. Friday’s panels and tracks include sessions, panels and keynotes on the following topics:

Global agricultural sustainability.
Commodity outlooks.
U.S. trade and foreign investments.
Supply chain challenges.
Climate mitigation and adaptation.
Agroforestry.
Carbon markets.
Climate change.
Pollinators and biodiversity.
Farm bill and farm policy.
Food security.
Nutrition.
Organic outlook.
Organic agriculture research.
Preventing fraud and integrity of the organic seal.
Diversity and equity.
Food safety.

Learn more on the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum program site .

Organic Trade Association shares top 7 priorities for organic agriculture in the 2023 farm bill

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 16:22:40 GMT

Change is in the air. With the current farm bill expiring Sept. 30, 2023, congressional lawmakers are working to draft a new farm bill that, once it becomes law, will guide agriculture and food programs for the next five years.

“Those of us who work in ag and food know that the reality is that the farm bill touches our food system from seed to plate,” Matt Dillon, owner of organic consulting company Risk to Resilience Strategy, said in a recent press call.

In part because the omnibus package of legislation is so far-reaching, the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association — which represents 10,000 businesses across the organic supply chain — wants to ensure that organic policy priorities support the $63 billion organic industry and get the attention they deserve in the upcoming farm bill.

“Organic is one of the country’s fastest-growing food production and processing categories, but despite the organic sector’s strengths and marketplace success, the industry faces core challenges that Congress must address in the next farm bill,” Organic Trade Association CEO Tom Chapman said in a statement. “The benefits of organic go far beyond the farm gate. To sustain organic’s growth and expand its positive impacts, we’ve developed a set of priorities that will build off the progress made in the 2018 farm bill.”

Related news: USDA’s new organic rule tackles fraud

Farmers Advisory Council co-Chair and Director of Government and Industry Affairs for Organic Valley Adam Warthesen agrees, emphasizing the broad impact the farm bill can have for farmers and organic agriculture.

“Our hard work in the 2018 farm bill resulted in historic gains in organic oversight and led to the Agriculture Department’s action to advance the Strengthening Organic [Enforcement] (SOE) rulemaking, the most significant changes to organic regulations since the creation of the National Organic Program,” Warthesen said in the release. “Farm bills fundamentally impact organic farmers and our agriculture system. We need to be present to safeguard and advance the organic policy and funding priorities we have outlined as Congress starts deliberating the next farm bill.”

So, what makes the 2023 organic agenda according to the OTA? It basically comes down to equipping responsive organic standards, supporting American farmers and empowering organic supply chains.

The Organic Trade Association’s top 7 priorities for the 2023 farm bill include:

1. Update the Organic Foods Production Act to establish a preplanned, predictable timeline — at least once every five years — to review and update the organic standards so they continue to meet consumer expectations in an evolving marketplace.

2. Strengthen the National Organic Program’s enforcement authority against false or misleading organic claims.

3. Increase funding for core organic programs authorized in the farm bill including:

The Organic Research and Education Initiative.
Organic Data Initiative.
Organic Certification Cost-Share Program.
National Organic Program.

4. Expand organic market data collection and improve risk management tools for organic farmers.

5. Prioritize and increase funding for conservation practices that build soil health.

6. Acknowledge certified organic agriculture’s contributions to protecting natural resources in USDA conservation and climate-smart programs.

7. Authorize and invest in new programs to increase technical assistance for organic and transitioning farmers; facilitate market development and infrastructure grants to expand domestic organic production and processing capacity as piloted by the USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative.

“The farm bill has a huge impact on the future of organic agriculture, and we need to capitalize on the important gains that organic achieved in the 2018 farm bill,” Farmers Advisory Council co-Chair and Montana organic farmer Doug Crabtree said in a release. “While still not funded to the proportion of food spending by consumers, organic research funding did receive a big boost in the last farm bill.”

Updates to crop insurance rules, along with support and technical assistance, would go a long way to support organic and transitioning farmers, Crabtree said.

“A healthy organic marketplace cannot be fully realized without critical support for farmers who are the backbone of organic,” Crabtree added.

The next farm bill should ensure that there is government-funded organic research, that organic farmers are provided fair risk management strategies and crop insurance, and that organic is a part of the climate-change solution, reiterated OTA’s Chapman, emphasizing that organic standards must continue to evolve and adapt.

“Congress should not only continue to protect the integrity of the USDA Organic label but ensure that organic standards continuously improve over time,” Chapman said.

Learn more about the OTA’s 2023 farm bill priorities .

NGA advocates for SNAP, other programs in 2023 farm bill

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 15:49:45 GMT

Maintaining the dignity of lower-income shoppers and increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables for all are key goals that the National Grocers Association is pushing for in the 2023 farm bill.

Based in Washington D.C., the trade association represents the independent sector of the food retail and distribution industry. On Feb. 2, the NGA sent a letter outlining its 2023 farm bill priorities to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and U.S. House Committee on Agriculture.

Independent community grocers account for 33% of all grocery sales, exceeding $250 billion, and more than 1.1 million American jobs, the letter said.

“As deliberations begin on Capitol Hill on the 2023 farm bill, NGA is ready to work with lawmakers to ensure the needs of the independent grocery industry are addressed,” NGA Vice President of Government Relations Stephanie Johnson said in a news release. “Independent community grocers are a linchpin for communities across the country by providing nourishing food to millions of Americans at an affordable price. Legislation must consider the critical role independent grocers play across America so they can continue expanding food access and supporting local economies.”

Some of the recommendations NGA outlined in its letter include:

Maintain SNAP choice

The USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is successful because of the flexibility it provides both retailers and SNAP participants, the letter said. SNAP choice ensures families can shop with the same dignity as any other customer by choosing the foods that are right for their situation. Allowing choice also respects the foods of various cultures.

Make SNAP online permanent and provide technical support for retailers

SNAP online helps the program keep pace with private partners. Almost every state has launched SNAP online purchasing. Congress should make the SNAP online program a permanent feature of SNAP and provide the USDA with the resources to properly implement SNAP online and onboard additional stores, the letter said.

Maintain current program structure and expand access

NGA opposes large programmatic changes to SNAP like block granting or migrating to bulk food distribution boxes, ideas that threaten the viability of grocery stores in the communities that need them most.

Expand and streamline GusNIP

Expanding access to Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) will help families make healthier choices and support their local economies. Data from the first years of the program shows that the program is working and consumers participating in this program have increased purchases of fruits and vegetables. Congress should build upon the success of this pilot and target resources to communities in need, the letter said. GusNIP provides incentives for shoppers buying fruits and vegetables at the point of purchase. It also includes a produce prescription program and provides training and technical support for these initiatives.

Protect retailers from an EBT tax

Grocers are constantly being confronted by fee increases in the acceptance of card payments. These fees are quickly becoming one of the biggest operational costs for retailers, often cited as the second-highest operating cost behind labor, the letter said. NGA is strongly urging Congress to permanently prohibit processing fees on EBT transactions and protect retailers from an EBT tax.

“Independent grocers are committed to expanding access to healthy foods across the United States through these strong public-private partnerships,” Johnson said. “SNAP is necessary for feeding families, raising healthy children and supporting local communities, and we look forward to working with Congress to ensure the program is strengthened.”

To read the full letter, click here .

USDA’s new organic rule tackles fraud

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 21:27:55 GMT

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule is live today on the Federal Register, filed unofficially by the USDA and the National Organic Program, with official publication scheduled for Jan. 19.

“This has been a long time coming,” U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine said on a call with reporters. “It’s been first major attempt to update the regulations and make sure that we’re strengthening [organic] integrity since the original act in 1990.”

The new 280-page Final Rule addresses long-awaited updates sought after by farmers and organic advocates alike to bolster the credibility of the organic seal and safeguard organic integrity across global supply chains.

“[Consumers] want transparency in the system, they want integrity in the system,” Pingree said. “And we’ve learned during the pandemic, the challenges that we faced with our supply chain issues — which were widespread throughout agriculture — were exacerbated in organic agriculture. It allowed for even more opportunities for fraudulent products to come through the market because of the desperate need for products everywhere. That makes this [Final Rule] even more important than ever.”

Early reactions to the Final Rule

“This rule really shows that, unlike other eco-labels like ‘natural’ or ‘regenerative’, the USDA Organic label is backed by third-party inspection, federal enforcement and provides traceability from the farm to the consumer,” Tom Chapman, CEO of the Organic Trade Association, said in a statement. “Unlike these uncertified claims, there are consequences to cheating in organic and it just got that much harder. Consumers can be confident that we will make sure products sold as organic are organic.”

What’s more, according to Chapman, the SOE Final Rule “closes gaps in current organic regulations and builds consistent certification practices to prevent fraud and improve the transparency and traceability of organic products.”

Fraud in the organic supply chain — wherever it occurs — harms the entire sector and shakes consumer trust in organic.

“We all know the certification standards are so high in organics, we must make sure that the integrity is high. ... Consumers need to know that if they’re going to put the money down, that they’re actually going to get the product that they’re intending to get,” Pingree said. “It’s not an easy standard to meet. It shouldn’t be and we should keep it that way.”

Kate Mendenhall, an Iowa organic farmer and executive director of Organic Farmers Association, agrees that the Final Rule is good for producers and consumers alike.

“U.S. organic farmers and consumers will both benefit from a quick and strong implementation of the SOE Rule. We are glad to see it published before the beginning of writing the next farm bill,” Mendenhall said in a news release. “This is a huge win for organic farmers.”

Related news: Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule expected to publish Jan. 18

Pryor Garnett, Organic Farmers Association Policy Committee chair and owner of Garnett’s Red Prairie Farm in Oregon, agrees that this rule will benefit the entire organic sector.

“Ensuring that all handlers and importers are held to the same enforcement standards as organic farmers is incredibly important,” Garnet said in the release. “The SOE rule was in process for far too long, and we thank the USDA for bringing it across the finish line.”

Key takeaways

The breadth and the depth of the new rule is immense. The 282-page rule addresses 17 different topics. In spirit and content, the final rule is similar to the rule proposed in 2020 and takes into consideration over 1,500 comments submitted in response to the proposed rule.

At the heart of the new rule is ensuring robust enforcement for organic certification across the supply chain. Top updates to the USDA organic regulations outlined in the Final Rule include:

1. Requires certifications from more critical links in the supply chain.

“Number one, the rule reduces the types of uncertified entities so more types of operations will now need to be certified,” Jennifer Tucker, deputy administrator of the USDA’s NOP said in a call with reporters. “Those folks will now need to be certified and that will take huge steps forward for traceability and supply chain protection.”

According to Chapman at the OTA, the Final Rule clarifies that traders, importers, warehouses for unpacked products, distributors, brokers or anyone who handles open organic products outside of onsite at retail needs to be certified organic.

Organic certification exemptions have been narrowed to only include:

Retailers.
Those storing or selling to retail products in sealed, tamper-evident packaging.
Transport and customs brokers.

2. NOP Import Certificates expanded to include all organic imports.

All imported organic products will need to be documented via an import certificate issued by the exporter’s certifier. This certificate will be entered into U.S. Custom’s ACE’s system and the NOP Organic Integrity Database.

According to Chapman, this will make tracing, monitoring, auditing and enforcing the organic regulations in international trade more efficient and effective.

3. Enhanced supply chain traceability and organic fraud prevention measures.

The Final Rule will require increased traceability and record-keeping practices at each certified operation along the supply chain. This will increase due diligence and make it more challenging for fraud to go undetected.

Next steps towards compliance

“It’s a 14-month implementation period that includes two months until the rule is fully effective and then a 12 month implementation period after that,” Tucker said. “So, a total of 14 months from the official publication date, which is tomorrow.”

In preparation for a March 2024 implementation date, Chapman confirmed in a statement that the organization is focusing on providing necessary support and resources needed members to ensure successful compliance with this significant new rule.

“My biggest suggestion to any stakeholder that may be impacted or thinks that they may be impacted is to read the rule,” Jonathan Veley, director of AMS trade systems at the USDA told The Packer on Jan. 13. “I encourage them to read it cover to cover. I think that will alleviate so many questions.”

USDA invests $25M to expand healthy incentives in SNAP

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 21:05:44 GMT

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is improving access to fruits and vegetables by expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s healthy incentive initiatives.

This year FNS will select up to three states to receive funding and support to run an Electronic Healthy Incentives Pilot, or eHIP, for SNAP participants in their state, according to a news release.

Incentive programs encourage SNAP recipients to purchase healthy foods by providing a coupon, discount, gift card, bonus food items or extra funds when they buy specific foods, such as fruits and vegetables, the release said. The projects improve food and nutrition security by making it easier for SNAP households to access healthy foods, the agency said.

Many existing SNAP incentive programs are run by third-party organizations. Through the eHIP projects, states will test SNAP incentive program models, which could reduce administrative costs and increase efficiency, allowing more incentive dollars to reach SNAP participants, enabling them to buy more nutritious fruits and vegetables. Increased demand for fruits and vegetables also helps strengthen the food supply chain.

“USDA is committed to ensuring every American family has access to affordable, nutritious foods,” Stacy Dean, USDA deputy under secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, said in the release. “That’s why we continue investing in evidence-based programs that make a difference. Research shows that SNAP participants who received fruit and vegetable incentives consumed 26% more fruits and vegetables per day than nonparticipants. With the help of our partners and stakeholders throughout the country, SNAP incentive programs can change lives and ensure a healthier, more prosperous future for more Americans.”

Funding for eHIP is provided through President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Interested states must apply by March 31, 2023. To learn more, view the entire r equest for applications .

Launching eHIP is one of many recent USDA actions to expand SNAP healthy incentives.

In November 2022, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced the latest Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, or GusNIP, investment, including $38.7 million to support eight nutrition incentive projects. The funding will support local pilot projects, statewide projects, and regional, large-scale projects intended to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing incentives to eligible SNAP shoppers.

FNS also provides ongoing support for SNAP incentive programs at farmers markets as well as training and technical assistance for states and retailers operating incentive programs for healthy foods.

While programs like GusNIP and HFMI are federally funded, any SNAP-authorized retailer can operate an incentive program. More and more local partners are implementing innovative SNAP incentive programs under FNS-issued waivers. For example:

SNAP households in Menomonie, Wis., can earn a $5 or $10 voucher to purchase fruits and vegetables at their next visit when they shop with SNAP benefits at participating Menomonie Food Co-Op locations.
Grocery retailer Meijer also offers discounts, ranging from $5 to $10, or 5% to 10% off, for fruits and vegetables purchased with SNAP benefits.
The city of Baltimore, Md., in partnership with Amazon Fresh, is offering fruit and vegetable vouchers to SNAP households living in Baltimore that use benefits online at Amazon.com.

These are just some of the models that can be replicated across the country to reach more SNAP households, the release said. Interested retailers or funding entities must first apply for a waiver through FNS. Learn more on the SNAP healthy incentives webpage .

Incentives could be a particularly helpful tool as the extra pandemic-related SNAP benefits, known as emergency allotments, come to an end. Per the law recently passed by Congress, all SNAP households’ benefits will return to normal amounts, without emergency allotments, no later than March 2023, the release said. One of the ways states, retailers, advocates and partners can help increase purchasing power for SNAP households during this transition period, and beyond, is to launch or expand SNAP healthy incentive programs.

This effort delivers on a commitment made in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 — all while reducing disparities. The National Strategy was released in conjunction with the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in over 50 years, hosted by President Biden on Sept. 28, 2022.

FNS’ report, “ Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service ,” highlights ways the agency will support the National Strategy.

USDA gives Elevated Foods $20 Million to expand climate-smart agriculture practices and markets

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:35:32 GMT

Elevated Foods is the latest Climate-Smart Commodities program grant recipient, receiving $20 million from USDA to accelerate its work improving the U.S. food system. Elevated Foods’ plan is to advance climate-smart production practices on hundreds of farms and several hundred thousand acres of working land. It’s ultimate goal? To sequester more than a half million metric tons of carbon over the next five years, according to a news release.

“Elevated Foods was founded to increase the health of our planet and its people, and this project does exactly that,” Founder and CEO Steve Brazeel said in a news release. “We’re overjoyed to expand our work in supporting our nation’s fruit and vegetable farmers in producing and marketing healthy, safe, affordable and sustainable climate-smart crops. The resounding endorsement of USDA, through its investment of $20 million, will help to usher in greater transparency to the fresh produce supply chain and return more profit to the farmers growing our food.”

The California-based fresh produce brand partner provides support services and positioning insights to growers. Additionally, Elevated Foods connects highly differentiated, traceable fruits and vegetables products to interested retailers, foodservice distributors and processors.

“Consumers and commercial purchasers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it was produced. Farmers are eager to meet this demand; however, existing production systems and distribution channels don’t afford access to bring these products to market profitable,” Brazeel said in the release.

Related news: New Data Shows Ag’s Climate Footprint is Shrinking

Over the next five years, according to the release, Elevated Foods will support fruit and vegetable producers to implement climate-smart production practices by:

measuring and monitoring
verifying ecosystems services
quantifying carbon and greenhouse gas emission reductions associated new practices
develop markets to promote produce crops as climate-smart commodities
promote offerings to a wide range of customers and communities

Elevated Foods will execute this project in partnership several governmental and non-profit organizations such as:

California Department of Food and Agriculture
Solutions for Urban Ag
World Wildlife Fund
University of Arizona
International Fresh Produce Association
AgLaunch
Soil Health Academy
Understanding Ag
California Association of Food Banks

More on USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

The historic $2.8 billion investment from USDA into its new Climate-Smart Commodities Program , launched in February 2022, is designed to expand markets for climate-smart commodities and encourage climate-smart agricultural practices on a diverse range of farms and ranches. Climate smart practices include cover cropping, water management, conservation tillage, integrated pest management, promoting biodiversity and nutrient management.

Specialty crop alliance urges farm bill action

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:22:55 GMT

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance and its allies in Congress are encouraging lawmakers to protect farm bill investments in specialty crops.

The alliance issued a statement in response to this week’s letter from the chairs of the Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus — Reps. Jim Costa, D-Caif.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; and David G. Valadao, R-Calif. — to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate, according to a news release.

“The status quo for U.S. specialty crop growers is simply not sustainable, and this week’s letter from the Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus reinforces the importance of key specialty crop investments to enhancing the competitiveness of growers and supporting the overall health and well-being of all Americans,” the statement said. “Modest investments in specialty crops could be transformational for growers that have historically not been served by farm bills in the same way as other commodities. That’s why we echo the chairs in urging passage of a full five-year, bipartisan farm bill that can be signed into law this year — one that includes more investment, not less, in specialty crops.”

SCFBA is a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, according to the group. In early 2023, the alliance released a set of key policy priorities as part of its farm bill recommendations . Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $64.7 billion in farm gate value and 30 percent of farm cash receipts for crops , the release said.

The SCFBA is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.

Research in Ag-Tech Top-Of-Mind in Farm Bill Hearing

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 20:03:24 GMT

The Senate Ag Committee met on Tuesday to hear testimony surrounding the need for ag research funding in the coming farm bill. According to Katy Rainey, associate professor at Purdue University who gave testimony, the hearing showed “signs of hope” for ag research.

Representing the American Seed Trade Association , Rainey underscored farm bill ag research and technology funding needs:
• Public-private partnerships
• Better program support in the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS)
• Regulatory space that allows technology to come to market.

“There is a misconception that the private sector has the basic and applied research needs for row crops,” Rainey said in her testimony. “We rely on the support of farm bill funding and programs to ensure continued U.S. leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world.”

Outside of sharing her own message, Rainey heard four other testimonials as well as questions from senators. While the on-air discussion proved informative, Rainey says she was most intrigued by the conversations happening off-air.

“Senators are concerned with farmers’ bottom line, but they’re also concerned about global events,” Rainey says. “My takeaway from the senators is that there’s actually a hopeful outlook for global food security because there is so much technology. If we can support the research to get that technology to the field or to the plate that could dispel concerns across the board.”

Rainey is confident research funding will come through in the farm bill to deliver that technology.

View Across the Table

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) was also in attendance of the hearing. In Ernst’s view, there are two highlights from the hearing that deserve a spotlight on Capitol Hill.

1. Cybersecurity in Ag

“We know that our adversaries are targeting our farmers [through cyberattacks] and that does affect our nation’s food chain,” said Ernst in the hearing. “What we want to see is additional work in university ag systems through research, education and outreach activities.”

Chavonda Jacobs-Young, undersecretary for research, education and economics at USDA, said the agency is working to deliver on that additional work.

“We first need to raise the awareness for needs in cybersecurity,” she says. “We also need to train — and retain — the generation of professionals who can help us in this space. That involves high-performance computing, AI and cybersecurity.”

Jacobs-Young and Ernst plan to meet and establish a partnership, along with other groups recommended by Jacobs-Young, to make a gameplan for cyber-awareness in rural America.

2. Carbon Credit Opportunities

In the research corridor, Ernst feels there are carbon questions that still need answers.

“I hear about this all the time from Iowa farmers — they want to participate in carbon markets and create healthy soils,” Ernst says. “Getting the right type of information and translating that so producers can measure carbon on their farms and in their production activities is the bigger issue.”

Ernst and Young both agree the outreach chord needs to be reconnected to rural America, but Jacobs-Young isn’t sure what tactic will flip the ignition switch.

“It’s critically important to talk to producers about what they need and how that can be delivered in a way that they will be receptive to,” said Young in the hearing. “Adoption is part of the issue we have. We can develop wonderful technologies, innovations and tools, but we struggle with producers being receptive.”

For her part, Ernst says she’ll work to allocate farm bill funding toward such programs and communicate with Young on ways to relay the program messages to farmers.

Producers with carbon questions can also seek answers in Farm Journal’s Carbon Innovation Center .

More on farm bill 2023:

Rep. G.T. Thompson Lists His 3 Farm Bill Objectives
Opinion: The Value of Partnerships Between the Agriculture and Energy Industries

4 Ways to Advocate for Ag in the New Farm Bill

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:55:48 GMT

The 2023 farm bill will have tremendous influence on your farm. It’s the chief policy instrument for commodity programs, trade, farm credit, conservation, agricultural research, rural development and, of course, food and nutrition programs. It will affect what U.S. agriculture does, and how we’ll feed the world, over the next five years.

Educate the New Players

That’s why U.S. farmers must get involved in the farm bill process, which is already underway. It will take some work to make your voices heard. Farmers make up only 1.3% of the U.S. population.

Nearly 150 members of the House of Representatives and some 17 members of the U.S. Senate have never voted on a farm bill before. Other elected officials and their legislative aides might not clearly understand farm bill programs.

But here’s the good news: They want to hear from you. They’re hungry for a direct connection with you and for the information only you can provide. They want to know what’s working or not working in your industry.

Here’s how you can take part:

Invite local, state and federal officials to your farm or business. Help them connect the dots from the farm level to Washington, D.C., and beyond. Reach out to their offices and staff, especially those who aren’t familiar with ag, to let them know you’d love to have them out for a visit. Lead them on a tour of your facility so they can see and hear firsthand what you’re doing and why, and what industry changes you’d like to see.
Get involved in a trade or member organization. A unified message from a large group amplifies a position, helping ensure critical programs continue to work and complex challenges find solutions.
Join in a “fly in” to Washington, D.C. If there’s an opportunity for a group of farmers to travel together to the nation’s capital and meet with legislators or officials at USDA or other federal departments, take it. This is your chance to educate policymakers and their staff, who play a key role in crafting farm bill language.
Make letters, emails and phone calls count. Courteous, well-informed outreach to legislators or key officials explains your position to those who shape farm policy. For example, Zach Ducheneaux, administrator for USDA’s Farm Service Agency, has told me he wants to hear from producers. Ducheneaux is an important link, providing direction on agricultural policy, administering loan programs and managing conservation, commodity, disaster and farm marketing programs.

Why You Must Act

As farmers, you already have so much on your plates. But if you don’t act, who will do it for you? Who’s telling agriculture’s story? Your advocacy matters more than ever.

More on farm bill 2023:

Research in Ag-Tech Top-Of-Mind in Farm Bill Hearing
Rep. G.T. Thompson Lists His 3 Farm Bill Objectives
Conservation, Loan Rates and Insurance: 3 Farm Bill Topics Gain Traction

USApple Board at White House to discuss trade, ag labor

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 18:51:51 GMT

The U.S. Apple Association ’s board of directors visited the White House on March 15 to meet with White House policy staff and discuss “critical issues impacting the apple industry,” according to a release.

Sixteen USApple board members from across the country met with Joan Hurst, director for agricultural affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Kelliann Blazek, special assistant to the president for agriculture and rural policy. The loss of exports, agriculture labor and renewal of the farm bill were topics of discussion.

“Steel and aluminum tariffs continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing the apple industry,” USApple Vice Chair Steve Clement of Sage Fruit in Yakima, Wash., said in the release. “We’ve been cut out of the India market due to 70% tariffs, and the China market has dwindled to nearly nothing. Many growers who have been thinking about renewing their orchards don’t see a point and are instead getting out.”

India was the No. 2 market for U.S. apples prior to the Section 232 steel and aluminum retaliatory tariffs, but lost market share since 2018 has cost growers half a billion dollars in sales, the release said.

China, too, was a bright spot on the horizon with the country importing high-value U.S. apple varieties prior to its tariffs taking hold, the release said. Now, the China market has all but disappeared for U.S. apple growers. Countries like Iran, Turkey and Chile have since snatched up the lost U.S. apple market share.

“When Washington State can’t export apples to global markets it has a huge impact nationally,” USApple Chair Brenda Briggs of Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, Pa., said in the release. “It depresses markets, hurts farmers and threatens the sustainability of growing apples on the East Coast and middle of the country.”

In addition to encouraging the Biden administration to help growers with market access, the USApple board also asked for assistance with agriculture labor policy.

“Since the Farm Workforce Modernization Act passed the House twice but wasn’t successful in the Senate, we are having to start over at square one with a new Congress this year,” USApple President and CEO Jim Bair said in the release. “But we’re not giving up.”

The USApple board says it asked for help with rules “delaying H-2A workers from entering the country in time to begin work in their respective orchards, and with maximum 34-hour work weeks and inconsistent wage rates and classifications for various orchard jobs.”

The group also discussed the importance of the farm bill and its renewal this year. Getting additional Market Access Program funding for specialty crops is critically needed to help with apple exports, as well as maintaining funding for research and other Agriculture Department programs that directly impact the industry, the release said.

Related: USApple taps Mitchell Liwanag to manage environmental affairs