Momentum Builds for Farm Bill

May 9, 2026
Friends,

Last week, we recognized NC’s US House members who voted to advance the Farm Bill, formally titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. Their votes reflect the kind of leadership North Carolina farmers need, and we remain grateful for it.

The House passage of this legislation is the farthest a Farm Bill has traveled through Congress since the last reauthorization was signed into law in 2018. North Carolina farmers are navigating one of the most difficult operating environments in recent memory: rising input costs, persistent drought, volatile commodity markets, and ongoing trade uncertainty. They deserve a functioning, modernized farm safety net, and last week’s vote moves us closer to that goal.

The Farm Bill now moves to the US Senate, and it’s unlikely it will stay exactly in its House-passed form. But there is genuine reason for optimism, as Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) told reporters this week that he is “‘confident the Senate is going to get this done.’”

Chairman Boozman has also pointed to his strong working relationship with the Senate Agriculture Committee’s ranking member, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) as a key element in the chamber’s ability to bring a new Farm Bill across the finish line. 

NC’s farmers should also know that neither of our state’s senators has been sitting on the sidelines. Senator Ted Budd introduced the FARM Stability Act in March to codify much-needed reforms to farm labor costs and bring predictability to one of the most pressing challenges facing our producers: the price of their workforce. Senator Thom Tillis joined Budd in cosponsoring this welcome legislation.

We also want to be straightforward with our readers: the bill that passed the House reflects real compromises, and it is not without shortcomings. Provisions that would have provided important certainty for farmers and the broader agricultural supply chain were stripped before final passage. 

The Senate process represents an opportunity to produce legislation that more fully addresses what North Carolina farmers actually need. We will continue to monitor that process closely and advocate for outcomes that reflect the priorities of our state’s agricultural community.

North Carolina agriculture is a $111 billion industry, our state’s largest by far. It sustains hundreds of thousands of jobs and anchors rural economies across our state. The farmers who make that possible have waited through years of extensions and uncertainty while costs climbed and margins tightened. We urge North Carolina’s full congressional delegation in both chambers and of both parties to continue to see this process through to deliver a Farm Bill our producers sorely need and richly deserve.