It’s a new year – and with a new year comes a new Congress, new Administration, new opportunities, and new beginnings. Could a new Farm Bill join that list?
America’s farm and ranch families certainly hope so.
Farmers and ranchers across the country have been urging Congressional leaders to prioritize and pass a robust new Farm Bill since the 2018 Farm Bill initially expired in 2023.
Congress stood by farmers in year-end negotiations on the Continuing Resolution, and producers’ voices were heard. Certainly, this assistance came at a time when many producers were having tough conversations about the future of their operations. While this ad hoc assistance saved many from going under in a dire time of high input costs and low commodity prices, ad hoc is never and has never been meant to make producers whole.
Many elements of farming are completely out of producers’ hands, and while America’s farm and ranch families work hard to mitigate risk, stacked years of low prices and continuing high input costs have created a challenging financial picture – which is just one of the many reasons the long-term certainty that a robust, five-year Farm Bill provides is necessary.
Take Amy France, for example. As Chairwoman of the National Sorghum Producers, she has faced tough situations on her farm – from intense drought to low prices and more. Amy told Farm Policy Facts, “On France Family Farms, we do all we can to produce the best crop, and that is what we love to do – we watch our crops grow and keep our grain cart driver hopping, trying to keep up with the loads.”
Amy continued, “Farmers want to farm and produce. However, no matter how hard we try or how much we give, sometimes the most essential variables are out of our control.”
To Amy, the Farm Bill is more than just a debate that comes around every five years. It’s a backdrop of support that allows her and her family to continue farming while also giving them the safety net to encourage innovation and the ability to ensure the next generation can not only come back to the farm but continue to write the next chapter in the great story of American agriculture.
“The Farm Bill is one more critical tool in a farmer’s toolbox. Getting a Farm Bill done is vital for farmers, our families, and our neighbors near and far.”
The Farm Bill provides protections for sorghum farmers (and future farmers!) like Laney, Prim, Kennedie, Amy, and Calli.
In 2025, we congratulate the many members of the new Congress and look forward to the real impact that they can make for all Americans by passing a strong new Farm Bill in this new year.
Want to hear more from Amy and other farm and ranch families like hers? Tune in to the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on Wednesday, February 5, entitled, “Perspectives From the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy.”
Need a Farm Bill refresher? Find a high-level, title-by-title history and overview of this crucial piece of legislation that impacts every American, from the field to the dinner plate here. Plus, learn about agricultural policy straight from America’s heartland on the Groundwork podcast.