By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Senate Releases Farm Bill Discussion Draft

On June 23rd, the Senate Agriculture Committee released a discussion draft Farm Bill. While the draft language eliminates some of the most harmful provisions proposed in the House bill and includes several key policies that the Organic Farmers Association (OFA) has advocated for, the bill still falls short of what is needed in this moment.

Wins for Organic Farmers:

The Senate bill does a little better for organic farmers than the House version. OFA is pleased to see the following provisions included:

• Language from the Organic Imports Verification Act (OIVA): Restores a level playing field for domestic producers by requiring the USDA to test high-risk bulk imports of organic feedstuffs for prohibited residues. This prevents fraudulent imports from undercutting US organic farmers.
• Language from Risk-Based Oversight for Integrity Act (ROI): Modernizes organic inspections by aligning oversight intensity with actual risk. This reduces administrative burden on low-risk operations while strengthening enforcement where it is needed most.
• Conservation Funding: Slightly increases access to conservation programs for organic and transitioning producers by expanding the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) set-aside (the House bill provides a larger increase).
• National Organic Program (NOP) Funding: Provides small, stable, “stairstep” budget increases to support the long-term growth and oversight of the organic sector.
• Cost-Share Support: Authorizes an additional $8 million in discretionary funding annually, in addition to the existing $8 million mandatory allocation (subject to the annual appropriations process).

Missed Opportunities:

Despite these positive steps, the current draft misses a critical opportunity to invest in organic. Funding increases for existing programs and new policies to expand markets, infrastructure, and research are needed to support domestic organic production. Without these, the bill will leave American producers at a disadvantage during a time of growing consumer demand.

One provision OFA was particularly disappointed to see left out was language to provide improved data collection to better understand and address the challenges organic dairies face. This language was included in the House Farm Bill, and we will continue to advocate for its inclusion in the Senate version if the bill moves forward. 

See the full list of marker bills OFA is advocating for throughout the Farm Bill process here.

Contact your Senators today and urge them to fight for a Farm Bill that truly supports our organic farming communities!

What comes next?

The biggest sticking point for the Senate Bill is a requirement that some states must soon start paying a share of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) costs, based on their SNAP payment error rates. Democrats would like to delay the policy’s implementation, and it remains unclear whether there is a path forward for the bill if Republicans do not strike a deal.

If a deal is reached, the bill will still need to be discussed in committee markup, voted on in committee, and eventually voted on the Senate Floor. From there, it must be reconciled with the House bill and returned to each chamber for a final vote before being sent to the White House for signature into law.

Illegally Canceled Land Access Grants Restored!

In March, USDA canceled 49 out of 50 active contracts under the  Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, a $300 million initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan Act intended to provide essential training and financial support for underrepresented producers—including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and veteran farmers.

On July 3rd, a federal district court issued an order reinstating the grants for 24 of the canceled contracts, totaling $127 million.

The groups who had their grants restored are 2020 Farmers Cooperative, African Alliance of Rhode Island, Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice, Agrarian Trust, Black Oregon Land Trust, Center for Heirs’ Property, Cultivate Kansas City, Four Bands Community Fund, Heru Urban Farming, H.O.P.E For Small Farm Sustainability, Iowa Valley RC&D, Kansas Black Farmers Association, King County, WA, NDN Collective, NOFA-NJ, Ourspace World, RAFI, San Diego Food System Alliance, Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, THRIVE Santa Ana, Urban Oasis Project, Viva Farms, Workin Rootz, and World Farmers.

They are all represented by Earthjustice, Farmers Justice Center, and FarmSTAND. RAFI and Agrarian Trust are also represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center. Read the full statement from Earthjustice here.

Finally, Organic Cost-Share Funding for 2025 and 2026 will be available!

After many months of delay, USDA’s Farm Service Agency has published a final rule authorizing the release of funds for the Organic Certification Cost Share.

OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the National Organic Program, which is administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Producers and handlers are eligible to receive 75% of the costs, up to $750 for each of the following scopes: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling , and state organic program fees. Producers and handlers must apply by Dec. 31, 2026, for both program years.

OFA is working to gather more information and is taking your questions about how FSA is handling the two years’ worth of applications at the same time. If you have questions, please fill out this form, and we’ll work to get answers and post them here!