Farmers Can’t Rely on Luck: Pass the Farm Bill

The St. Patrick's Day holiday is a reminder of how often luck gets credit for hard work. Farmers do not have that luxury. They are feeding the country and protecting our nation's food. Food security is national security, and the farm bill is a critical tool to keep it strong.

Wisconsin farmers recently celebrated the bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 in the House Agriculture Committee. We appreciate the leadership of Chairman G.T. Thompson and committee members across the aisle for recognizing that a new, modernized farm bill is critical for our farmers. Their action demonstrates that there is a path forward.

The House Agriculture Committee moved. Now the Senate Agriculture Committee must act. Farmers need a markup scheduled soon.

Although Congress made changes to several USDA programs through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, many core farm bill programs were left out. Those omissions include tools farmers use to protect soil, water and markets. Important updates from that package don't arrive until fiscal year 2027, which leaves farms exposed right now. We still need a full, bipartisan farm bill reauthorization to fill the gaps.

It is no secret that many items are competing for the attention of our legislative leaders right now, but farmers are facing extraordinary economic challenges. Farmers are no stranger to the pendulum swing that comes with farming, but these days it feels more like a wrecking ball.

Crop prices are low and inputs costs are at a record high. Safety net programs delivered only about $2 billion for the 2024 crop year, which is a shortfall when margins are tight.

That gap forces farmers to shoulder more financial risk at a time when their income continues to fall. Farmers need Congress to respond to conditions that are already squeezing family farms.

Agriculture is a strategic resource. Few laws do more to protect America's food supply than the farm bill. We can't rely on luck to keep that system strong.

A lot has changed since Congress last updated the bill in 2018. A global pandemic, inflation, supply change disruptions and high interest costs all hit the agriculture sector in rapid succession. The farm bill helps farmers absorb those shockwaves and keep food moving.

The House Agriculture Committee moved. Now the Senate Agriculture Committee must do the same. At this moment, eighteen Wisconsin Farm Bureau members are on Capitol Hill urging our leaders to keep the farm bill moving forward and at the top of their political agendas.

Everyone depends on a steady food supply and we all have a chance to speak up right now in support of this important piece of legislation. The farm bill affects every link in the food chain, from the families who grow food to the families who buy it.

Lawmakers need to hear why this bill matters to your household, your community and the strength of our nation's food system. The farm bill protects our food supply, supports national security and, ultimately, benefits all families across the country.

Your voice carries weight. This is the time to share your story and urge Congress to move the farm bill forward.

Luck may be a part of St. Patrick's Day, but it can't be our national strategy. Farmers can't rely on luck. Pass the farm bill.

Olson was first elected President of Wisconsin Farm Bureau in 2023. He is a crop farmer near Frederic in Polk County.