Small Farm Conservation Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new subprogram within the existing EQIP conservation program specifically for small-scale farmers. It would provide both financial and technical assistance to help small farms adopt conservation practices on their land.
• At least 30% of the total EQIP budget would be reserved for this small farm subprogram from 2027 through 2031. Of that money, 65% goes directly to farmers as financial assistance and 35% goes toward hiring and training conservation staff.
• Farmers with 50 acres or less who adopt soil health management systems would get a 50% bonus on their payments. The bill also sets a minimum payment of $2,500 per producer to make the program worthwhile for small operations.
• The bill prioritizes farmers who have historically had less access to government programs, including socially disadvantaged farmers, those in high-poverty areas, limited-resource producers, beginning farmers with under 10 years of experience, and veterans.
• To reduce barriers, the bill requires a faster application process with continuous enrollment, new NRCS staff trained on small farm challenges, and outreach materials published in multiple languages beyond English.