By Gordon Merrick
If it feels like we’ve been talking about the Farm Bill forever, you’re not wrong. As we turn the calendar to a new year, we are still operating under an extended version of the 2018 Farm Bill, once again kicking the can down the road on a comprehensive, bipartisan update to one of the most consequential pieces of legislation for U.S. agriculture.
Here’s a quick reset on where things stand, what key players are signaling, and how OFRF is approaching the year ahead.
A Quick Catch-Up: How We Got Here
Last year was defined less by progress and more by procedural survival. Congress passed multiple short-term extensions to avoid a lapse in Farm Bill authorities, ultimately extending the 2018 Farm Bill into the new year. While this kept critical programs operating, it also delayed meaningful updates to research, conservation, and rural development policy, areas that increasingly need modernization.
At the same time, Farm Bill negotiations were repeatedly sidelined by larger political dynamics: leadership changes, appropriations brinkmanship, reconciliation debates, and an overall lack of floor time. The result was a familiar outcome: temporary certainty paired with long-term stagnation.
For organic farmers and researchers, this has real consequences. Programs authorized by the Farm Bill can’t evolve, funding levels can’t be right-sized, and emerging challenges—climate volatility, supply chain disruptions, market consolidation—remain inadequately addressed.
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