Inside the 2026 Farm Bill Draft
February 21, 2026
| Friends, Happy Saturday. If you’ve been keeping track of what our agriculture colleagues are doing in Washington, you know the House Agriculture Committee has released draft text of the next Farm Bill ahead of a scheduled markup on Monday, February 23. We have not had a new, fully reauthorized Farm Bill since 2018. It’s not for lack of effort. Over the past several years, both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have worked to find consensus, but instead of a new five-year bill, Congress has passed extensions to keep core programs funded and operating while negotiations continue. The Farm Bill remains one of the most important and comprehensive pieces of legislation affecting agriculture. It strengthens risk management tools, funds conservation programs, supports nutrition programs that help feed American families and drive demand for U.S.-grown products, shapes farm credit, invests in rural infrastructure, improves market access, and funds research. In short, it does a tremendous amount of heavy lifting for agriculture and rural America. The newly released Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, led by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, maintains many of the traditional Farm Bill programs producers rely on while also addressing issues that have gained urgency since the 2018 bill expired in 2023. It is a large and complex proposal, and the Committee has provided detailed title-by-title summaries for those who want to dig deeper. Here are a few provisions I have my eye on: Addressing Prop 12 Head-On: Includes a fix to California’s Proposition 12, prohibiting states from imposing production standards on livestock products raised outside their borders. Uniformity of Pesticide Labeling Requirements: Reinforces the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the sole authority for pesticide labeling. This would prohibit states or local courts from requiring warning labels that differ from or go beyond those approved by the EPA. Nutrition Program Oversight and Alignment: SNAP remains the largest portion of Farm Bill spending. The draft increases oversight of payment error reporting and administrative cost transparency, and proposes aligning certain program incentives with updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including animal protein and full-fat dairy products. Specialty Crop Support: Establishes a consistent framework for USDA disaster aid, reducing the need for future ad hoc disaster programs, and expands standing block grant authority for states. The Future of Hemp: Proposes regulatory adjustments intended to streamline oversight of industrial hemp, including changes to testing and laboratory accreditation requirements. There is far more in this bill, and it is a long way from final. Ranking Member Angie Craig has indicated significant concerns from House Democrats, making bipartisan passage in its current form uncertain. Monday’s markup will give us a clearer sense of what stays, what changes, and what becomes a point of contention. Before we wrap up, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that North Carolina’s primary elections are quickly approaching. Election Day is March 3, with early voting already underway. Our friends at TRC Nexus have published a great 2026 NC Primary Primer that is worth your time. At the NC Ag Partnership, we believe it is critical to vote in these primaries especially to ensure rural voices are heard. These elections determine who advances to the general election, and they shape the future of agricultural leadership in our state. Your homework is simple: find your polling place, learn about the races on your ballot, and make a plan to vote by March 3. As always, thank you for staying engaged. |
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| Tori Rumenik Executive Director, North Carolina Ag Partnership |