Bennet, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Help Small Farms Access Federal Support

 Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls, and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here . M About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Help Small Farms Access Federal Support Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led eleven Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that will help small farms access federal conservation programs delivered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  “After hearing from farmers and ranchers across […] Jun 25, 2026 | Press Releases Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led eleven Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that will help small farms access federal conservation programs delivered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). “After hearing from farmers and ranchers across Colorado, especially those who are just getting started or facing barriers to accessing federal resources, it is clear our conservation programs are falling short of their promise. By making these programs more accessible to smaller operations, we can help producers adopt soil health practices, strengthen local food systems, and protect our environment,” said Bennet. USDA’s EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that offers farmers and ranchers financial cost-share and technical assistance to implement conservation practices on working agricultural lands. Small farms and ranches often find it difficult to navigate federal conservation programs and, because payment rates are based on acreage, they face meaningful pay discrepancies compared to larger agricultural operations. Small farmers who wish to undertake soil health practices have to dedicate the same time and effort as larger farms to access EQIP while only receiving a fraction of the benefit. The Small Farm Conservation Act modifies EQIP to create a new subprogram dedicated to helping small farmers and ranchers access and receive adequate financial and technical assistance. Specifically, the Small Farm Conservation Act would: Create a subprogram within EQIP tailored to support small farms and ranches; Establish a national subprogram coordinator and one in each state; Streamline the application and approval processes for small farmers and ranches; Create a bonus payment for farms under 50 acres employing soil health practices; Allow small farms to enroll on a continuous basis instead of waiting for the annual ranking period; and Require the Natural Resources Conservation Service to train field staff on conservation tailored for small-scale agriculture and to conduct outreach to small-scale farmers and ranchers. “Small farms are important to our rural landscape and ensure national food security. The majority of U.S. organic farms are small- to mid-sized, and OFA supports expanding conservation support for small farms through the Small Farm Conservation Act,” said Kate Mendenhall, Executive Director of the Organic Farmers Association. “The Small Farm Conservation Act is an important step in supporting young farmers who are interested in both feeding their communities and taking care of our shared resources. This bill directly addresses the challenges that these farmers face when trying to access EQIP cost-share dollars by breaking down barriers and simplifying application processes. The National Young Farmers Coalition is grateful to the leadership of the bill’s sponsors and looks forward to continuing to ensure that NRCS programs work for the next generation of farmers,” said Lotanna Obodozie, Climate Policy Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition. Ensuring that conservation programs serve small farms is a top priority for NSAC, as many of our members serve small farmers directly every day. We are excited to see a strong slate of common sense reforms in the Small Farm Conservation Act. These changes will deepen USDA’s institutional understanding of small farms, make EQIP more accessible, and improve the outreach, application, and technical assistance processes small farmers experience when using conservation programs,” said Jesse Womack, Conservation Policy Specialist of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Accessing the USDA conservation programs has been a real nightmare for me and other small-scale producers in my community. The Small Farm