Sponsors
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill creates a dedicated USDA office with funding, local coordinators, data tracking, and modest grants to help small farms, ranches, and forests access assistance—trading increased federal spending and administrative complexity for targeted support that may be too limited in dollar size and subject to discretionary implementation.
Small farm, ranch, and forest operators gain eligibility for direct grants (up to $25,000) to pay for repairs, business planning, conservation, and land down payments, providing immediate financial help to sustain or grow small operations.
Small operators, rural communities, and state USDA partners get a new USDA Office focused on small farms/ranches/forests plus authorized funding (FY2027–2031), improving coordination, continuity, and access to programs over time.
State coordinators and agency liaisons are established to improve local outreach and technical assistance, making it easier for rural operators to learn about and apply for USDA programs and grants.
Taxpayers fund a new office and grant program with an authorized cost (about $25 million per year), increasing federal spending.
The $25,000 grant cap may be too small to cover major capital investments or land purchases, limiting the program's usefulness for operators needing larger sums.
The Secretary has broad discretion over acreage definitions, eligible uses, and other implementation details, creating uncertainty about who will qualify and how equitably the program will be administered.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a USDA Office of Small Farms to define small operations, coordinate support, and run grants up to $25,000 with technical assistance and a hotline.
Creates a new Office of Small Farms inside the USDA Farm Production and Conservation mission area and requires the Secretary to appoint a Director to coordinate federal support for small farms, ranches, and forest operations. The Office would set a definition for eligible small operations (an acreage test or Secretary‑set acreage plus annual gross cash farm income under $350,000), review policies that disadvantage small operations, recommend new initiatives, advise on data and research, provide technical assistance and succession planning, and run a small grants program with awards up to $25,000. The text specifies duties and certain program features (including an anonymous hotline and a list of permitted grant uses) but does not include specific funding levels, staffing, or reporting requirements; implementation details and funding would depend on the Secretary and future appropriations or rulemaking.