“A bill to amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish an Office of Small Farms, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes within USDA's farm production and conservation mission area (FPAC) the Office of Small Farms, led by a Director, to support small farms, ranches, and forest operations (defined as those under 180 acres, or an acreage-based equivalent determined by the Secretary considering state/region and production system, with annual gross cash farm income under $350,000). The Director shall (1) coordinate agency efforts and review programs to identify and recommend removal of barriers disadvantaging such operations; (2) develop recommendations for new initiatives, including financing and technical assistance; (3) propose research agendas and track data on small operations; (4) provide or coordinate technical assistance for program access, implementation, and farmland preservation; (5) offer grants of up to $25,000 directly or via agreements for equipment upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, conservation, land down payments, and other purposes; (6) operate an anonymous hotline for program access issues; (7) collaborate with other federal and state agencies; and (8) approve state coordinator plans. This section requires specified USDA officials (e.g., chiefs of Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, Administrators of Risk Management Agency and others) to appoint liaisons to the Office for outreach and coordination strategies. This section directs the Director, in consultation with state food and agriculture councils and state office directors, to designate a small farms coordinator in each state from state office employees (who may also serve as the state beginning farmer and rancher coordinator).