By Heidi Gant
Indiana Farm Bureau has announced its priorities for the 2026 legislative session which were heavily influenced by the current state of the agriculture economy and the urgency to secure a brighter future for Indiana farms and rural communities.
“Last year we were laser focused on tax legislation with it being a budget year,” said INFB President Randy Kron. “This year, we need the General Assembly to consider legislation that will protect farms and rural communities to ultimately ensure safe, affordable food not just for Hoosiers but for people all over the world.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts farm debt will increase 20% from 2022, totaling almost $592 billion this year. While many farm families across the country are struggling to stay afloat, Kron says that INFB is committed to advocating for policies at the local, state and national levels to ensure farmers can keep farming.
The priorities identified by INFB for 2026 include the following general topics:
Encourage investment in agriculture.
INFB will support policies that improve the economic outlook for farms and help create opportunities for passing the farm onto the next generation.
“The tax relief that came out of Senate Enrolled Act 1 from the 2025 legislative session didn’t make a big enough dent in farmers’ pocketbooks to strengthen the ag economy,” said Kron. “With continued pressure from rising input costs, land prices and property taxes, it will be difficult for farmers just to break even this year. We need lasting property tax reform now.”
Strengthen rural communities.
Strong rural communities are vitally important for Farm Bureau members. Farms and agribusinesses contribute heavily to Indiana’s economy, and those contributions are only made possible by thriving rural communities with infrastructure that can support the local workforce, and allow families thrive. INFB will encourage investment in those communities with robust education, healthcare and emergency services, as well as infrastructure for local food production and value-added economic development.
“Emergency medical services, fire and police are essential to keep rural communities surviving long term,” said Katie Nelson, INFB’s executive director of public policy. “We will support legislation this coming year that prioritizes effective, efficient and responsive local government services for our members.”
Support Indiana’s farms and farmers.
According to a 2024 study conducted by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana lost almost 350,000 acres of farmland to mainly residential and economic development between 2010 and 2022.
Although farmers are getting more efficient with the tools they have every year, productive farmland is still essential to growing the food, fuel and fiber the world is counting on.
“Food security is national security,” said Nelson. “As the average person gets farther and farther away from the farm, it becomes increasingly important that farmers have a voice in the policies that impact them. Our members have made it clear that legislation protecting prime agricultural soils and natural resources should remain a priority moving forward.”
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