Since the last farm bill was enacted in 2018, international wars and a pandemic have disrupted supply chains, inflation has skyrocketed and worsening climate change has put a renewed emphasis on conservation practices.
Farmers feel left behind and forgotten.
"I should be in a good mood,“ Jared Gregg, a seventh-generation farmer from Piatt County, Ill., told the Chicago Tribune in early September. ”My Illini just won and I had a nice weekend with my family, but to be real honest, I'm frustrated.“
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had just called and asked him to complete a survey while he was in the midst of preparing for a busy harvest season. To Gregg, it was a reminder that the federal government is out of touch with farmers.
Yet again, Congress is unlikely to pass an updated farm bill.
The comprehensive package of legislation that sets agriculture and food policy is supposed to be updated every five years. But partisan gridlock got in the way last year, forcing Congress simply to extend the 2018 bill another year. That extension expired Monday and, with a presidential election less than two months away, Congress isn't focused on finalizing a new five-year plan -- potentially leading to yet another extension.
"I'd like to see the government put forward as much effort as American farmers are putting forward," Gregg said. "Watching them play politics is a tough pill to swallow when prices are down and expenses are up."
Consumer grocery prices rose 25 percent between 2019 and 2023 and have continued to rise, but this hasn't translated to extra income for farmers. The price hikes are getting tacked on due to supply chain issues between the farm and the store shelves. And like for all Americans, farmers' expenses from labor to equipment and fertilizer are rising.
Eastern Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, led a majority of the House Republican Conference in a letter alongside Missouri Rep. Mark Alford to House GOP Leadership reaffirming their commitment to advancing a farm bill.
The letter -- signed by 140 GOP House members, including all of Iowa’s House members -- noted that farmers, ranchers and producers still are living under outdated policies from the 2018 farm bill.
“Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until next Congress for the enactment of an effective farm bill,” the letter states, calling it a “must-pass” item in the lame duck Congress.
“Inflation has driven production costs to the highest on record. Meanwhile, commodity prices across the board have fallen precipitously, creating a severe margin squeeze on farm and ranch families,” the House GOP members wrote. “... Farm debt, $540 billion, is the highest ever, both nominally and when adjusted for inflation. These factors show no signs of abating for all major commodities.”
Western Iowa U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, in a statement issued Monday, said House Republicans’ proposed legislation would strengthen crop insurance, increased reference prices, doubled funding for trade programs, and include protections “to keep our farmland away from China and our foreign adversaries.”
“Between low commodity prices and declining farm income, we must pass the Farm Bill to deliver certainty and relief for our producers and Iowa agriculture,” Feenstra said.
In the extremely unlikely event that Congress doesn't extend the 2018 farm bill by the end of the year, a permanent New Deal-era law that the temporary farm bill overrides would kick in, leaving farmers to operate with even more outdated legislation.
Jonathan Coppess, an agriculture policy expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is particularly worried that without a new farm bill, programs incentivizing sustainable farming could flounder.
"We're limiting the amount of funds available for farmers to do conservation, then we're expanding what we want them to do under conservation umbrellas," he said, citing growing attention to the role poor agricultural practices play in the climate crisis.
Even in 2018, the farm bill funding available for conservation programs didn't meet the demand. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act infused nearly $20 billion over five years into these programs. But the backlog has persisted. Inflation has only exacerbated it.
Both the Democratic and Republican farm bill proposals bolster conservation programs, but the Republican version eliminates the programs' focus on reducing carbon emissions and sequestering carbon dioxide, a caveat the Democrats injected alongside the extra Inflation Reduction Act funding.
Gregg, the Illinois farmer, has two outstanding applications to experiment with pesticide mitigation strategies and to grow cover crops, both proven to improve soil quality, reduce nutrient runoff that causes harmful algae blooms and foster pollinator habitats.
He's motivated by the possibility of tapping into new clean energy markets such as sustainable aviation fuel. The federal government opened the door for jet fuel to be made from corn that meets particular sustainability standards earlier this year.
"If they expect me to produce in a conservation-minded fashion, I'm holding up my end of the bargain. But I'm not seeing it happen on their end," said Gregg.
Coppess, the Illinois professor, fears many farmers will become discouraged from adopting conservation practices if their applications keep getting denied. Fewer applications could result in even less funding, creating a counterproductive cycle that could kill the current enthusiasm around conservation-minded farming.
Hinson, speaking Monday to The Gazette, said she’s disappointment in both House GOP leadership for not pushing for a floor vote and Senate Democrats for not releasing a bill. Senate Democrats put out a framework for a bill, but never released the legislative text.
House Republicans’ proposal, H.R. 8467, passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture back in May with slight bipartisan support.
It included changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that provides benefits for low-income households to buy groceries. The proposal would reduce future outlays by $30 billion over the next decade, according to an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Democrats have called it a cut and made clear that any reductions in SNAP spending would cross a red line. The farm bill has been stalled ever since.
Hinson said she believed the bill could have passed the House with bipartisan support, had leadership pressed for a vote before the Nov. 5 election.
“I'm not sure what that'll look like after the election now, to be honest,” Hinson said. “So I'm hopeful we can get it on the floor, because our people need that certainty, and that's what I've been continuing to advocate.”
Hinson said she’s pleased Congress passed a stopgap funding bill, ensuring the USDA’s Farm Service Agency offices continue to operate and support Iowa farmers.
“We have a few more months of certainty,” Hinson said, adding conservation programs will continue this year, and SNAP food assistance benefits will continue.
“I don't think people need to worry,” Hinson said. “What I am concerned about here is the continual dysfunction of Congress and getting these things done on time.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, in a news release, called the farm bill “the lifeblood of Iowa’s rural economy.” It authorizes tens of millions in grants to support Iowa’s local food systems and provides farmers with incentives to improve soil quality. It also provides access to nutrition for families, provides money for crop insurance, and impacts millions of agriculture- and food-related jobs in the country.
“Forcing our farmers to plan for next year’s crop without any idea of what’s happening is poor policy,” Hart said in a statement. “Our legislators should be more concerned about supporting production agriculture, promoting soil conservation and feeding hungry kids than they are about going home to campaign.”
Farmers feel left behind and forgotten.
"I should be in a good mood,“ Jared Gregg, a seventh-generation farmer from Piatt County, Ill., told the Chicago Tribune in early September. ”My Illini just won and I had a nice weekend with my family, but to be real honest, I'm frustrated.“
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had just called and asked him to complete a survey while he was in the midst of preparing for a busy harvest season. To Gregg, it was a reminder that the federal government is out of touch with farmers.
Yet again, Congress is unlikely to pass an updated farm bill.
The comprehensive package of legislation that sets agriculture and food policy is supposed to be updated every five years. But partisan gridlock got in the way last year, forcing Congress simply to extend the 2018 bill another year. That extension expired Monday and, with a presidential election less than two months away, Congress isn't focused on finalizing a new five-year plan -- potentially leading to yet another extension.
"I'd like to see the government put forward as much effort as American farmers are putting forward," Gregg said. "Watching them play politics is a tough pill to swallow when prices are down and expenses are up."
Consumer grocery prices rose 25 percent between 2019 and 2023 and have continued to rise, but this hasn't translated to extra income for farmers. The price hikes are getting tacked on due to supply chain issues between the farm and the store shelves. And like for all Americans, farmers' expenses from labor to equipment and fertilizer are rising.
Eastern Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, led a majority of the House Republican Conference in a letter alongside Missouri Rep. Mark Alford to House GOP Leadership reaffirming their commitment to advancing a farm bill.
The letter -- signed by 140 GOP House members, including all of Iowa’s House members -- noted that farmers, ranchers and producers still are living under outdated policies from the 2018 farm bill.
“Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until next Congress for the enactment of an effective farm bill,” the letter states, calling it a “must-pass” item in the lame duck Congress.
“Inflation has driven production costs to the highest on record. Meanwhile, commodity prices across the board have fallen precipitously, creating a severe margin squeeze on farm and ranch families,” the House GOP members wrote. “... Farm debt, $540 billion, is the highest ever, both nominally and when adjusted for inflation. These factors show no signs of abating for all major commodities.”
Western Iowa U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, in a statement issued Monday, said House Republicans’ proposed legislation would strengthen crop insurance, increased reference prices, doubled funding for trade programs, and include protections “to keep our farmland away from China and our foreign adversaries.”
“Between low commodity prices and declining farm income, we must pass the Farm Bill to deliver certainty and relief for our producers and Iowa agriculture,” Feenstra said.
In the extremely unlikely event that Congress doesn't extend the 2018 farm bill by the end of the year, a permanent New Deal-era law that the temporary farm bill overrides would kick in, leaving farmers to operate with even more outdated legislation.
Jonathan Coppess, an agriculture policy expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is particularly worried that without a new farm bill, programs incentivizing sustainable farming could flounder.
"We're limiting the amount of funds available for farmers to do conservation, then we're expanding what we want them to do under conservation umbrellas," he said, citing growing attention to the role poor agricultural practices play in the climate crisis.
Even in 2018, the farm bill funding available for conservation programs didn't meet the demand. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act infused nearly $20 billion over five years into these programs. But the backlog has persisted. Inflation has only exacerbated it.
Both the Democratic and Republican farm bill proposals bolster conservation programs, but the Republican version eliminates the programs' focus on reducing carbon emissions and sequestering carbon dioxide, a caveat the Democrats injected alongside the extra Inflation Reduction Act funding.
Gregg, the Illinois farmer, has two outstanding applications to experiment with pesticide mitigation strategies and to grow cover crops, both proven to improve soil quality, reduce nutrient runoff that causes harmful algae blooms and foster pollinator habitats.
He's motivated by the possibility of tapping into new clean energy markets such as sustainable aviation fuel. The federal government opened the door for jet fuel to be made from corn that meets particular sustainability standards earlier this year.
"If they expect me to produce in a conservation-minded fashion, I'm holding up my end of the bargain. But I'm not seeing it happen on their end," said Gregg.
Coppess, the Illinois professor, fears many farmers will become discouraged from adopting conservation practices if their applications keep getting denied. Fewer applications could result in even less funding, creating a counterproductive cycle that could kill the current enthusiasm around conservation-minded farming.
Hinson, speaking Monday to The Gazette, said she’s disappointment in both House GOP leadership for not pushing for a floor vote and Senate Democrats for not releasing a bill. Senate Democrats put out a framework for a bill, but never released the legislative text.
House Republicans’ proposal, H.R. 8467, passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture back in May with slight bipartisan support.
It included changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that provides benefits for low-income households to buy groceries. The proposal would reduce future outlays by $30 billion over the next decade, according to an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Democrats have called it a cut and made clear that any reductions in SNAP spending would cross a red line. The farm bill has been stalled ever since.
Hinson said she believed the bill could have passed the House with bipartisan support, had leadership pressed for a vote before the Nov. 5 election.
“I'm not sure what that'll look like after the election now, to be honest,” Hinson said. “So I'm hopeful we can get it on the floor, because our people need that certainty, and that's what I've been continuing to advocate.”
Hinson said she’s pleased Congress passed a stopgap funding bill, ensuring the USDA’s Farm Service Agency offices continue to operate and support Iowa farmers.
“We have a few more months of certainty,” Hinson said, adding conservation programs will continue this year, and SNAP food assistance benefits will continue.
“I don't think people need to worry,” Hinson said. “What I am concerned about here is the continual dysfunction of Congress and getting these things done on time.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, in a news release, called the farm bill “the lifeblood of Iowa’s rural economy.” It authorizes tens of millions in grants to support Iowa’s local food systems and provides farmers with incentives to improve soil quality. It also provides access to nutrition for families, provides money for crop insurance, and impacts millions of agriculture- and food-related jobs in the country.
“Forcing our farmers to plan for next year’s crop without any idea of what’s happening is poor policy,” Hart said in a statement. “Our legislators should be more concerned about supporting production agriculture, promoting soil conservation and feeding hungry kids than they are about going home to campaign.”
Farm bill expires, frustrating farmers and ag state politicians
The comprehensive package of legislation that sets agriculture and food policy is supposed to be updated every five years. But partisan gridlock got in the way last year, forcing Congress simply to extend the 2018 bill another year. That extension expired Monday.
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