Tag: National

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Farm Bill Moves Forward, Budget Signals Cuts: What It Means for Kentucky Agriculture

CFA Admin

The U.S. House has passed its version of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, marking an important step in a process that has already extended well beyond its original timeline. Attention now shifts to the Senate, where Agriculture Committee leadership, including John Boozman, has indicated that draft legislative text will be released in the coming weeks, though that timeline runs up against a scheduled recess beginning May 22. This creates a narrow and somewhat uncertain window for Senate action, and raises the possibility that negotiations could extend further into the year.

At the same time, the president’s proposed budget introduces a competing set of priorities, including the elimination of several programs that local and regional food systems rely on. Taken together, these developments illustrate both forward movement and continued instability in federal policy affecting Kentucky farmers.  CFA is just about halfway done reading the legislation, but this is a glance at where we are right now.

What the House Farm Bill Does

The House-passed bill largely maintains the existing framework for local and regional food systems, while making targeted adjustments that could have meaningful implications depending on how they are ultimately implemented.

  • Section 2302, State assistance for soil health, expands support and appropriates funding for soil health through state level programming, which has clear relevance for Kentucky given the interest our members have in soil health initiatives across the state. This provision creates additional opportunity to align federal conservation resources with locally driven priorities, though the extent of its impact will depend on final funding levels, state participation, and administrative design.
  • Section 4110, Animal protein an eligible incentive food, makes a notable change within nutrition incentive structures (which appears to affect GusNIP and Farmers Market Nutrition Program, at first glance) by expanding eligibility to include animal proteins. While this adjustment reflects an effort to broaden participation and consumer choice, it also raises important questions about how incentives will be structured in practice and whether support for locally produced fruits and vegetables will remain a central focus within these programs.
  • Section 4306, Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities, is a revamp of the Local Food Purchasing Program and Local Food for Schools Programs, which were very successful in KY. Based on quick calculations, this program may deliver between $2 and $3 million annually to Kentucky farmers, helping to stabilize markets and strengthen local procurement. At the same time, it also allocates funding to administer the program.  Its inclusion in the House bill represents a clear recognition of the role that local purchasing programs play in both farm viability and food access.
  • Section 5109, Heirs Property Resolution through Direct Public Interest Legal Services, addresses heirs property, an issue that continues to affect land access and retention for many producers. By providing funding for attorney and other fees to resolve heirs property issues, this legislation increases pathways for resolving heirs property challenges and has the potential to support long term farmland stability, particularly for multi generational operations.

In addition to these sections, amendments adopted during markup further signal an effort to improve access and usability of federal programs.

  • The Farmer to Farmer Education Act of 2025 provides funding for programs that specifically support peer learning, reinforcing the value of farmer led knowledge exchange. The link above goes to the Senate bill referenced in the amendment.
  • Amendment 45, (scroll down to amendment on this link) The Promoting Access to Local Agriculture, amendment focuses specifically on reducing administrative barriers by making it easier for farmers and farmers markets to register for and participate in federal nutrition incentive programs, a change that could meaningfully expand participation if implemented effectively. 
  • Amendment 54 (scroll down to amendment on this link) requires USDA to provide online enrollment options for disaster assistance programs, addressing a long standing barrier for many smaller operations.

While these policy changes are, on their face, promising, they represent only one stage in a much longer process. The House bill must still be reconciled with a Senate version, assuming the Senate advances its own bill, and ultimately any final provisions will need to be implemented in ways that are accessible, adequately funded, and responsive to on the ground realities.

The Budget Proposal: A Different Direction

In contrast to the House bill, the president’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for several programs that are central to local and regional food systems, particularly those that rely on discretionary funding rather than mandatory baseline support.

Among the programs proposed for elimination are the following:

  • GusNIP Produce Prescription Program, which connects healthcare and food access while creating reliable markets for farmers, including starting CFA’s FreshRx for MOMS, which has resulted in over $500,000 of fresh produce going to mothers on WIC or Medicaid; 
  • the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program, which supports organizations such as the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development in providing business development assistance, which builds the backbone to $39 million in economic impact on farms last year;
  • Dairy Business Innovation Centers, which help small and mid sized dairy producers diversify and remain competitive, including at least 2 in KY; 
  • the Acer Access and Development Program, which supports value added forest products, and has helped support KY’s efforts to harvest and market maple; 
  • and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which provides nutrition education that often complements local food purchasing efforts through cooperative extension.

Individually, these programs may appear relatively small within the broader federal budget, but collectively they form a critical layer of infrastructure for local food systems. Their elimination would not only reduce direct support to farmers, but also weaken the networks and institutions that make regional markets function.

Where This Leaves Us

At this stage, federal policy is sending mixed signals. The House farm bill maintains and, in some cases, strengthens key local food programs, while the proposed budget suggests a significant pullback in funding for many of those same efforts.

This disconnect underscores a fundamental challenge for local food systems, which are often authorized through legislation but remain dependent on annual appropriations to function. For Kentucky farmers, the outcome will depend not just on what is included in the final farm bill, but on whether those programs are ultimately funded and implemented in a way that allows them to be used effectively.

With the Senate expected to release draft language soon, and appropriations decisions still ahead, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether recent progress translates into sustained support or continued uncertainty.

This isn’t the last word on Farm Bill and Appropriations

These decisions are not final. Contact your Senators about how the farm bill and budget appropriations about those zeroed out programs if they have supported your farm or community.  Make clear that local food programs must be both protected and funded if they are going to work for farmers and communities.

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From Kentucky to Capitol Hill: Carrying Farmers’ Voices Forward

CFA Admin

Advocating for farmers doesn’t start in Washington—it starts in the fields, in early mornings, and in the lived experiences of those who grow our food every day.

For Community Farm Alliance, participating in the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) DC Fly-In was an opportunity to bring those experiences directly to policymakers. As Sandra Ballew Barnes shared, “Being on the Hill; sharing our farmers’ stories, is a crucial step in bringing the farmers’ voice in the room.” Meeting with Kentucky’s congressional delegation ensured that the needs of small-scale farmers back home were not just acknowledged, but heard.

For Farmer Liaison Kenya Abraham, the experience was both fast-paced and deeply meaningful.

Spending a day and a half on Capitol Hill felt like “speed dating”—a whirlwind of back-to-back meetings where small groups had just 30 minutes to make their case to congressional staff. Each conversation required focus, coordination, and clarity. Teams prepared in advance, studying detailed “playbooks” on each office and aligning their strategy before stepping into meetings.

Once inside, the conversation moved quickly—like a volleyball match—passing ideas and stories between advocates before delivering them across the table. The goal was simple but powerful: ensure that the realities farmers face every day were understood by those shaping policy.

But beyond the logistics and strategy, Kenya described advocacy as something much deeper.

“Being an advocate for farmers… feels like carrying something living,” she wrote.
 It means carrying early mornings in the dark, the weight of uncertainty in markets and weather, and the generational knowledge embedded in the land. It means representing not just policy positions, but livelihoods, risks, and dignity.

Walking into the “polished halls with marbled walls,” advocates stood at the intersection of soil and statute—translating lived experience into policy language. The results weren’t always immediate. Some meetings left participants energized and hopeful; others underscored how slow change can be. Most left them simply tired.

And yet, the experience remained profoundly important.

“It’s an honor to do this work,” Kenya reflected, emphasizing the importance of F.O.C.U.S—Fixed On Change Until Success.

For CFA, the Fly-In reinforced a core truth: advocacy is not just about policy. It’s about people. And ensuring that the voices of Kentucky farmers continue to shape the decisions that impact their futures.

Kenya left us with this moving recollection of the trip:

The Fly-in Experience with NFFC
Being an advocate for farmers with NFFC feels like carrying something living.
There’s such a huge weight to it.
You’re not just representing a policy or a position.
We are carrying early mornings in the dark,
and heavy feed buckets in the cold wind.
We carry our hands in the soil.
We carry the risk of drought and the gamble of markets.
We carry the prayer over seeds.
We carry families who have built something slowly.
We carry our heritage.
We carry risk and our loss.
And Always, We Carry Dignity.
Entering those polished halls with marbled walls, we stand at the intersection of soil and statute.
Sometimes you leave energized! – Feeling heard, respected, and hopeful.
Sometimes you leave frustrated! – Knowing how slow systems move, and you’re just pushing
along at a hamster wheel.
Mostly you leave tired! – Because it is absolutely exhausting to try and translate this lived reality
into policy language.
But we should always leave with pride! – Pride because I know that I’ve carried the fields into the
halls of power and made them listen, without leaving my boots at the door.
It is an honor to do this work with NFFC and may we continue to stay on FOCUS.

Fixed On Change Until Success
Kenya Abraham, Farmer Liaison
SLAK Market Farm LLC, Lexington, Kentucky

Interested in learning more about CFA’s policy work or getting involved? Stay connected and join us in advocating for farmers across Kentucky.

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KY Farmers tell DC legislators they want to grow Healthy Food for Schools

CFA Admin

We are more than two years overdue on passing a complete Farm Bill, actual farm bills (expenses) are rising, and everyone wants to change the way Americans eat.  But are they talking to the family farmers who make up our domestic food system?  Part of CFA’s mission is to make sure farmers get a voice with their representatives, and this month, we had the privilege of attending the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s member meeting in Washington DC, including taking some amazing farmers with us:  Josh and Bittany Johnston of of Windy Hill Farm + Home in Henderson, KY. Josh and Brittany are beginning farmers, but with farming in their heritage.  They not only raise conventional row crops in Henderson, KY but also grow 25 acres of vegetables for sale to their community, including schools.  Over and over, they told congressmen and congressional staff “We just want a fair opportunity with our specialty crops.’

Brittany and Josh started growing vegetables in 2020, and by 2021 they were selling at the farmers market. By 2023, they left their full-time jobs working for a large crop products supplier to become full-time farmers.  Part of what made that possible was the Local Food for School program, which provided federal money to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which then helped schools use it to buy  locally-grown farm food.  Josh said they want to be farmers who help their community be healthy. “Once we got our foot in the door of the school system, and they saw the quality of products, they decided to keep buying from us whether or not there was federal money.  But we needed that program to help us get started.” Today, thanks in part to that opportunity, their farm not only provides jobs for themselves, but also for several others.  In addition to the Johnstons, CFA staff members Laurie White and Myrisa Christy joined the delegation in DC.

The group visited Kentucky Congressman James Comer in his DC office. Josh and Brittany shared the impacts of federal investment in local foods for Kentucky schools and requested the Congressman’s support on H.R.4782, the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act. The group also met with staff in Senator McConnell’s and Senator Paul’s offices to request support for the senate’s version of the bill, S.2338, the Strengthening Local Food Security Act. “Previous cooperative agreements that allocated funds to Kentucky to purchase local farm foods were very popular and successful,” said Laurie White. “In Kentucky, those investments supported 148 farms who don’t benefit from most federal farm subsidies.”

“Getting to hear family farmers talk to our representatives about the challenges facing their farm, and what they need to be successful is at the foundation of CFA’s work,” said Myrisa Christy.  “And, we literally put in the footwork – we each got over 17,000 steps making sure Brittany and Josh told their story to multiple lawmakers in both the House and Senate.”

What can you do?

Since our DC trip, the House  has released a draft of the Farm Bill that includes the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act (HR 4782) in SEC 4306.   From “back of the napkin” calculations, at its current allocation, it could provide approximately $3 million a year for Kentucky to run programs that directly support schools and food banks by purchasing from local farmers.  The Senate Ag Committee has yet to rel\=-ease its Farm Bill text. To press for this local food provision to be included on the Senate side also, send a message to Senator McConnell to co-sponsor  S.2338, the Strengthening Local Food Security Act. You can use the Senator’s contact form to request his support or ask to meet with his staff in one of his 6 local offices.

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What the “Big Beautiful Bill” and FY2026 Appropriations Mean for the Farm Bill

maggie13654

In 2025, Congress did not pass a traditional five-year farm bill. Instead, major pieces of farm and food policy moved through two different tracks: a large budget reconciliation bill, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the FY2026 appropriations process.

Together, these actions reshaped the farm bill landscape, but they did not replace a full farm bill reauthorization.

What the One Big Beautiful Bill Did

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed through budget reconciliation in mid-2025, included several provisions that are typically handled in a farm bill. Because reconciliation can only include policies that directly affect federal spending or revenue, the bill focused on mandatory programs, including:

  • Changes to commodity programs and the farm safety net
  • Adjustments to crop insurance and disaster assistance
  • Major changes to nutrition programs, including SNAP

While these provisions addressed some of the largest budget items normally included in a farm bill, they left out many smaller, discretionary, or policy-based programs that do not fit reconciliation rules. In effect, reconciliation handled part of the farm bill, but definitely not the whole thing.

In a nutshell, the OBBBA circumvented a bi-partisan farm bill process, because the majority party could pass budget reconciliation along party lines, whereas a farm bill would have needed bipartisan support. That has put us where we are now, with a grim outlook for passing a farm bill.

What the FY2026 Appropriations Package Did

Separately, Congress used the FY2026 appropriations process to keep USDA and related programs operating. That package included a temporary extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, preventing many programs from expiring outright.

This extension allowed a wide range of farm bill programs—including conservation, rural development, research, local food systems, and market development programs—to continue operating while Congress debates what comes next.

However: This Is a Temporary Extension

Importantly, this funding and authorization only extend through September 30, 2026 for many farm bill programs.

That means:

  • Many programs are operating under short-term extensions, not long-term certainty.
  • Programs not fully addressed in the reconciliation bill still require congressional action to continue beyond FY2026.
  • Without a new farm bill or another extension, many programs could face funding cliffs or policy uncertainty again next year.

In short, the combination of reconciliation and appropriations kept key programs running—but it did not deliver the stability that a comprehensive farm bill normally provides.

Why This Matters for Farmers and Communities

This piecemeal approach creates uneven certainty across agriculture. Large, mandatory programs received multi-year changes through reconciliation, while many programs that smaller and mid-scale farms rely on, such as local and regional food systems, rural development, research, and technical assistance, remain in a holding pattern.

As discussions continue around a potential “skinny” follow-on farm bill or future extensions, farmers and rural communities are once again navigating uncertainty about how long critical programs will last.

Here is some further reading on the status of the farm bill, many of which were references for this blog: