Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Senator Booker, would create a new Office of Small Farms within the Department of Agriculture. It is designed to help farms and ranches that are smaller than 180 acres or earn less than $350,000 a year.
• The new office would provide grants of up to $25,000 to small farmers. This money can be used for things like buying equipment, repairing buildings, recovering from losses not covered by insurance, or making a down payment on land.
• Every state would get a dedicated 'Small Farms Coordinator.' These experts will work locally to help small-scale farmers understand and apply for government loans, grants, and conservation programs that are often hard to navigate.
• The policy sets up an anonymous hotline for farmers to report problems they face when trying to get help from the government. It also requires the office to look for rules that unfairly favor big industrial farms over smaller family operations.
• If passed, the government would spend $25 million each year from 2027 through 2031 to run the office and fund the grant programs. This ensures that small-scale growers have a permanent voice and financial support in Washington.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.