What Does the Federal Farm Bill Delay Mean for Delaware Farmers?

By Maggie Reynolds

Delaware farmers are eager for a clearer understanding of the future of federal agricultural subsidies, but partisan gridlock in Congress has further complicated a path forward. 

Negotiations over the federal farm bill, legislation typically passed by Congress every five years that sets agricultural and food assistance policies for the country, have stalled — in large part due to disagreements among lawmakers about the future of food assistance programs included in the proposal. 

But while federal lawmakers are stuck in a stalemate, farmers in Delaware face a growing financial and environmental uncertainty. They are stretched thin by rising costs of fertilizer and machinery, which have been exacerbated by the war in Iran, and dropping prices of corn and soybeans. 

At the same time, some Delaware producers say their reliance on the farm bill at all is a symptom of fundamental problems with the American agriculture industry. They argue farmers should not be in financial situations where they need government crop insurance or price subsidy programs to stay afloat. 

“I don’t want the government’s help,” Dover-area grain farmer Paul Cartanza said. “I want to be able to sell my product and make money without having interference from the government.”