By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

Farm Bill: All Eyes on the Senate

With the passage of a House Farm Bill on April 30th, attention is on the Senate Agriculture Committee. The committee can either take up the text passed in the House or draft their own version. 

Leaders hope for passage before the August Recess, however, the Senate requires a difficult 60-vote threshold for passage. Partisan friction over the same issues that took center stage in the House is expected. Partisan disagreements over funding for nutrition programs, pesticide preemption, and language aimed at counteracting California’s Proposition 12 animal welfare policies will make passage of a summer Farm Bill challenging.

Click here to urge the Senate to work for a farm bill that supports organic farmers!

USDA Reorganization & Personnel Crisis

In April, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced upcoming moves in their massive reorganization aimed at shifting agency leadership and staff out of Washington, D.C. The announcement covered the move of two-thirds of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) staff to Iowa and Georgia, while the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is being reassigned to St. Louis and various regional offices. Staff of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) are being relocated to Kansas City, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) facilities in Maryland are slated for closure, with research jobs to be dispersed across the country.

OFA is concerned that these orders to relocate could result in significant staff resignations, causing a loss of expertise and jeopardizing USDA ability to serve farmers.

While no announcements have yet been made about relocation for the National Organic Program (NOP), the agency has lost one-third of its staff this year alone, threatening organic integrity and the agency’s ability to prevent fraud.

USDA Cancels Land Access Grants – Take Action!

The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, a $300 million initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, is under threat. Intended to support 50 five-year projects launched in 2023, these grants were designed to provide essential training and financial support for underrepresented producers—including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and veteran farmers.

In a shocking move this March, the USDA cancelled 49 of the 50 active contracts. This follows a year of administrative delays under the guise of “DEI reviews.” With the vast majority of farmland owned by non-farming landlords and prices continuing to skyrocket, these grants were a lifeline for the next generation of producers.

Click here to ask Secretary Rollins to reinstate the cancelled grants and then click here to Ask Congress to Protect Farmer Contracts.