Boozman Highlights Arkansas Ag Voices in Push for Farm Bill 2.0

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) is continuing his push to advance Farm Bill 2.0 by highlighting the voices of farmers, conservationists and rural Americans in The Natural State and nationwide. These men and women represent all those who rely on a strong, comprehensive and modern Farm Bill to support their operations, families and communities.

Boozman has been featuring real-world stories from the people who feed and fuel America, steward our natural resources and strengthen rural communities in a social media campaign launched last month. The effort has included several Arkansans' perspectives and showcases why they urgently need the provisions included in Farm Bill 2.0.

"In developing Farm Bill 2.0, we've gone directly to the men, women, families and communities impacted by these policies to hear what's working, what's not and what they need from a modernized Farm Bill. Their experiences and ideas helped shape this legislation. Farm Bill 2.0 is about giving the people who produce our food, protect our land and sustain our rural communities the tools and certainty they need to succeed. These stories, including key voices from Arkansas, make clear just how necessary Farm Bill 2.0 is to deliver long-term resources and stability. The committee must advance this bill, and I look forward to doing so this week," said Boozman.

"As fish farmers, our operations rely heavily on maintaining stable water levels and managing high input costs, especially when extreme weather hits. Farm Bill 2.0's ELAP improvements are a gamechanger for aquaculture producers like us. By helping offset the heavy financial burdens of transportation costs and feed during severe droughts or adverse conditions, this program provides a crucial safety net," said Mike Freeze, Arkansas fish farmer.

"I understand firsthand that managing soaring input costs and keeping our operations capitalized in today's economic climate is an ongoing challenge. Farm Bill 2.0 addresses these modern realities head-on by updating vital credit and loan limits, such as Farm Service Agency operating and ownership loans. Getting a fully modernized farm bill across the finish line in the Senate is crucial to providing farm families with the financial stability and risk-management tools we desperately need to keep producing," said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Dan Wright.

"As an emergency physician in rural Arkansas, I've delivered babies in an ER because the nearest labor and delivery unit closed years ago. Farm Bill 2.0 takes that seriously - a Commission on Rural Maternal Health, financing tools for rural hospitals and EMS, and the broadband that makes telehealth possible. I'm grateful to Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee for keeping rural access at the center of this bill," said Lee Johnson, physician and Arkansas State Representative.

The #FacesOfFarmBill campaign puts producers and rural Americans at the center of the farm bill conversation, sharing their stories of how Farm Bill 2.0 would impact their operations, communities and livelihoods as well as help them navigate the challenges they face.

Farm Bill 2.0 is built for farmers, for rural communities and for the future. The legislation includes more than 100 bipartisan priorities designed to strengthen agriculture, support rural America and provide producers with greater certainty. Boozman announced his intention to reconvene the committee to resume consideration of the legislation at a business meeting on Wednesday, September 16.

To follow the campaign and read the stories from the people who are relying on an updated Farm Bill, follow #FacesOfFarmBill and visit the committee's social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Farmers and rural advocates in Arkansas have shared what Farm Bill 2.0 means to them in the #FacesOfFarmBill campaign.

Permalink: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2026/9/boozman-highlights-arkansas-ag-voices-in-push-for-farm-bill-2-0