By Lily Hawkins, Policy Director

House Farm Bill: Passage & Pesticide Victory

In a major legislative milestone, the House Farm Bill passed the floor on Thursday, April 30th, with a 224–200 vote, marking the furthest a Farm Bill has progressed since 2018. The bill saw bipartisan support from 14 Democrats, with three Republicans voting against it. A significant victory for the organic community came when the House voted 280–142 to remove language shielding chemical companies from liability and preempting the authority of state and local governments to regulate pesticide usage or limit pollution.

While the bill overall represents a missed opportunity to invest in the growth of the organic sector, OFA applauds the inclusion of language from the Organic Dairy Data Collection Act – a vital step toward providing the transparency and data infrastructure necessary to support the unique economic needs of organic dairy producers.

The process now moves to the Senate, where the Agriculture Committee can either take up the text passed in the House or draft its own version. Leaders hope for a late-May passage; however, the Senate requires a difficult 60-vote threshold and will likely face partisan friction over the same issues that arose in the House.

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 its 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 relocation orders could lead to significant staff resignations, resulting in a loss of expertise and jeopardizing USDA’s 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 canceled 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 canceled grants, and then click here to Ask Congress to Protect Farmer Contracts.