By Joby Young
It’s fair to say that 2025 has been a year of meaningful progress for agriculture, on top of some very big challenges. Farm Bureau helped farmers and ranchers across the country navigate the roller coaster ride. From policy wins that strengthen farm families to initiatives that support rural communities—our members, leaders and Farm Bureau staff rallied to ensure farmers and ranchers could hold on through the ups and downs. Here’s a look at some of the key victories and steps forward that shaped the year.
Weathering an Economic Storm
Congress took some big steps to provide certainty for farmers with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It extends critical tax provisions that farm and ranch families rely on to keep their businesses running. It also improves access to and affordability of critical risk management programs like crop insurance and commodity support programs, increases funding for conservation programs, and enhances risk management support for dairy farmers. However, the farm bill program changes don’t take effect until next year. That’s why the recently authorized $12 billion aid package was so important. It will help bridge the gap so farmers can pay bills, maintain their machinery and plan for the next season with greater certainty. But this is just one piece of what farmers and ranchers will need to turn the corner.
They’ve been hard hit from every direction during an economic storm that includes higher operating costs and historically low prices for most major crops. Major crops combined will lose more than $34 billion this year—that’s on top of $55 billion in combined losses from the two previous years. How many of us could survive by losing money year after year in our jobs? A spike in farm bankruptcies is a warning flare for all of us who rely on farmers to feed our families.
Thankfully, members of Congress are already working to fill in the gaps. Consider that many fruit, vegetable, tree nut and nursery growers are facing the same sharp rise in costs and the same instability in the marketplace—yet received less than 10% of the bridge support. Farm Bureau is committed to ensuring our elected leaders deliver additional aid to close the gap.
Financial relief is an essential lifeline, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle to help farmers and ranchers navigate these challenging times.
Labor Reform and Fair Wages
Farm Bureau has long advocated for changes to the antiquated wage rate formula, called the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, for agricultural guestworkers in the H-2A program. This year we achieved a new wage rate rule that brings wages into balance, so they are fair to both workers and farmers. Labor costs can be nearly half the cost of production, making it hard for farmers to break even and more expensive to grow food domestically. More labor reforms are needed to avoid increased dependence on imported foods.
Earlier in the year, the Department of Labor also pulled back a far-reaching regulation after several successful lawsuits, one of which was co-led by AFBF. This marked a significant win for farmers and ranchers because elements of this egregious rule placed new regulatory burdens on farmers whom Congress had explicitly exempted. Farmers appreciate and depend upon the men and women who choose to work on their farms, so fair labor standards are important to them.
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