This bill establishes an Office of Small Farms to provide targeted support and resources for small agricultural operations. It aims to improve access to funding and assistance for these farms, which are vital to local economies.
Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Office of Small Farms within the farm production and conservation mission area. The office must coordinate, review, and implement various programs and activities related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations. Under the bill, a small 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. Among other things, the activities of the office related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations must includecoordinating USDA efforts to improve support for these operators; providing or coordinating technical assistance for these operators for USDA grant, cost-share, and loan programs; andproviding 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. In addition, the Office of Small Farms must designate a small farms coordinator in each state.
