HR 7562 · In committee · last action March 20, 2026
<p><strong>Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Office of Small Farms within the farm production and conservation mission area. </p><p>The office must coordinate, review, and implement various programs and activities related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations. Under the bill, a <em>small </em>farm, ranch, or forest operation (1) is less than 180 acres or meets another USDA-determined, acreage-based definition of small; and (2) has an annual gross cash farm income of less than $350,000.</p><p>Among other things, the activities of the office related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations must include</p><ul><li>coordinating USDA efforts to improve support for these operators;</li><li>providing or coordinating technical assistance for these operators for USDA grant, cost-share, and loan programs; and</li><li>providing grants of not more than $25,000 to these operators directly or through cooperative agreements with other entities for areas including equipment and infrastructure repairs and upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, and conservation practice adoption.</li></ul><p>In addition, the Office of Small Farms must designate a small farms coordinator in each state.</p>
Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)
No votes recorded against this bill yet — vote coverage is a work in progress.
<p><strong>Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Office of Small Farms within the farm production and conservation mission area. </p><p>The office must coordinate, review, and implement various programs and activities related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations. Under the bill, a <em>small </em>farm, ranch, or forest operation (1) is less than 180 acres or meets another USDA-determined, acreage-based definition of small; and (2) has an annual gross cash farm income of less than $350,000.</p><p>Among other things, the activities of the office related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations must include</p><ul><li>coordinating USDA efforts to improve support for these operators;</li><li>providing or coordinating technical assistance for these operators for USDA grant, cost-share, and loan programs; and</li><li>providing grants of not more than $25,000 to these operators directly or through cooperative agreements with other entities for areas including equipment and infrastructure repairs and upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, and conservation practice adoption.</li></ul><p>In addition, the Office of Small Farms must designate a small farms coordinator in each state.</p>