Statement: Budget Reconciliation Bill Threatens Passage of Much-Needed Farm Bill

On May 22, 2025, House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This budget reconciliation legislation would slash critical support systems for families, increase funding for agricultural subsidies inaccessible to most farmers, and imperil the likelihood of farm bill reauthorization.

As the bill moves through Congress, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) urges the Senate to reject it and its potential to devastate the farm bill coalition and threaten the passage of a desperately needed new farm bill.

Since the reauthorization of the 2018 Farm Bill, the cost of living has increased, requiring more families and communities to stretch resources and make difficult decisions when purchasing food. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports more than 41 million people in putting food on the table.

Crucially, through utilization at farmers’ markets and programs, like Produce Perks, these dollars also flow into our agricultural communities, benefiting farmers and local economies alike.

With an almost $300 billion cut to SNAP, vital food assistance could be stripped from rural and urban communities. Part of the reason for cuts to SNAP is to pay for approximately $60 billion in farm bill programs, largely increasing reference prices and crop insurance funding. Unfortunately, the tradeoff between food assistance and farm subsidies will only benefit a small segment of our country’s agricultural industry—leaving many Ohio farmers out.

Data from the Environmental Working Group suggests that, when increased funding for reference prices and decreased funding for SNAP cuts are combined, all 88 Ohio counties stand to have a net loss in federal funding. Wayne County, which has the highest number of farms in Ohio, would have a net loss of $61 million in federal funding over a 10-year period.

While there are other pieces of the budget bill that OEFFA supports, like organic cost-share funding and increases to the conservation program baseline, agriculture as a whole risks losing more than it would gain from this legislation. Potential changes to states’ allocations of federal funding could weaken our already precarious nutrition safety net, put undue pressure on state budgets, and compromise local economic activity. Further, the inclusion of some farm bill programs in the budget legislation undermines the bipartisan coalition necessary to pass a much-needed farm bill.

“This is status quo policy that does not serve our farmers and risks the farm bill coalition. It does not focus on Making America Healthy Again,” said OEFFA Policy Director Milo Petruziello.

“All farmers should have access to support, like reference prices, but we are still waiting on legislative changes that make these farm safety net programs accessible to the vast majority of our network, which are typically small, diversified operations,” he continued.

Investments in U.S. farmers producing diverse crops while stewarding their land inherently support local communities with healthy food. Farmers do not need a quick fix that will only benefit a small percentage of producers. We need the opportunity to write and pass a strong, comprehensive farm bill that strengthens our local food economy and supply chain resiliency.

“OEFFA’s basis is good health,” said OEFFA Board member and owner of Mud Run Farm, Alex Dragovich. “Good soil produces good food.”

Pitting farm and food needs against one another weakens the effort and disrupts the process that a new farm bill relies on, and that OEFFA has continuously advocated for. We urge our Senators to vote “no” on this legislation that does not offer long-term solutions for our community. OEFFA farmers need and deserve a new farm bill so they can continue doing what they do best: producing good soil, good food, and good health.

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