Sponsors (4)
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Marilyn Strickland · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill improves access to USDA services, targeted grants, and local coordination for small farms, ranches, and forests, but does so with modest per‑applicant grant limits, added federal spending, possible exclusions based on eligibility definitions, and extra administrative requirements for states.
Small farm, ranch, and forest operators (including family farmers and other small agricultural businesses) gain direct financial support and easier access to USDA programs through eligibility for targeted grants (up to $25,000) and funded technical assistance ($10M/year), helping pay for repairs, uninsured losses, business planning, conservation, and land access.
State-level coordinators and interagency liaisons improve local outreach and coordination so small operators can more easily find and use USDA services and programs.
Required data tracking and a research agenda focused on small operations will generate better evidence to guide future policymaking and program design for small farms, ranches, and forests.
Grant awards are capped at $25,000, which may be insufficient for many capital or infrastructure needs, limiting the program's usefulness for operators with larger repair or investment needs.
The bill increases USDA spending by roughly $25 million per year to create the new office and programs, which raises taxpayer costs or may require budget offsets elsewhere.
Definitions tied to acreage and a $350,000 gross income threshold could exclude struggling producers in high‑cost regions or those with nonstandard operations, leaving some needy operators without help.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an Office of Small Farms in USDA FPAC to coordinate support, deliver technical assistance, and run a grant program with awards up to $25,000 for eligible small operations.
Creates an Office of Small Farms inside USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area and requires the Secretary to appoint a Director to run it. The Office must coordinate and improve USDA support for small farms, review programs to identify barriers, develop financing and technical-assistance initiatives, advise on data and research priorities, provide or coordinate technical assistance and cooperative agreements, run a grant program with awards up to $25,000 for specified uses, and operate an anonymous hotline (text provided was truncated on the hotline’s full description).