What’s in the Farm Bill?

NATIONWIDE — The Farm Bill shapes nearly every part of American agriculture, from family farms and local food systems to nutrition programs and conservation efforts. Lawmakers and farmers say it determines who can access food, how crops are grown, and how farms stay in business amid rising costs and labor challenges.  

At Ag Progress Days, an annual agricultural fair, U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R, PA-15), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, emphasized that nutrition programs, especially SNAP, are central to the legislation. “The number-one part of the Farm Bill is nutrition. It is the largest portion of the Farm Bill, specifically SNAP,” he said. “The Farm Bill is about helping those who produce our food and those who need help affording it.”
The bill also addresses farm labor, conservation, disaster relief and local food systems—issues small and mid-sized family farms say are critical to staying in business. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R, PA-08) highlighted the challenges of keeping family farms operational as costs rise, while farmers noted that labor shortages limit their ability to use federal programs.

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Bresnahan highlighted the family dynamic of Pennsylvania and New York farms. “The average farm in our district is 179 acres, with over 95 percent of them being family farms. Something that was always extremely important to me was the ability to pass down that family farm from one generation to the next,” he said.

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The Farm Bill, currently under debate in Congress, has drawn attention from lawmakers and farmers alike. Reps. Bresnahan and Thompson described it as a bipartisan effort addressing farm labor, comprehensive immigration reform, forestry and SNAP.Audience members raised concerns about proposed cuts that could affect tens of thousands of people. Officials explained that some programs require congressional authorization to continue, while increased research funding could benefit institutions such as Penn State.

While most farms in Pennsylvania and New York are small or mid-sized family operations, averaging about 150 acres, many are newer or diversified farms, for which programs related to conservation, local food systems and nutrition are most impactful. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, reported in July 2025 that from 1995 through 2024 the top 10 percent of commodity farms received nearly 80 percent of subsidy payments, highlighting longstanding concerns that farm bill subsidies continue to favor large producers over smaller operations.

Bresnahan recently introduced the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act, aimed at connecting local growers with food distribution programs. He discussed these issues during a roundtable that included an eighth-generation orchard owner and the executive director of Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.

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