Policy Update

House Farm Bill Markup— What We’re Monitoring

As of last week, the Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC) shared a general analysis of Tribal-specific provisions in the recently introduced House Farm Bill, as well as provisions of particular interest to producers in the credit space.

Ahead of the House Agriculture Committee’s markup of the bill, the NFBC is monitoring several priorities of interest that impact Tribal agricultural interests, from Tribal parity—including Tribes alongside states and local governments in programming—to conservation, farm ownership and operating loans, rural development, education, and nutrition programs like the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Examples of some of the provisions the NFBC is monitoring are outlined below. These examples are not exhaustive and are limited to provisions that are included in the House Farm Bill.

Support for Local Food Economies

• Section 4306 of the House Farm Bill would establish the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Program, which would open opportunities for the USDA to enter cooperative agreements with eligible entities like States and Tribes to strengthen local and regional food systems. Not only are Tribes explicitly mentioned as eligible entities, but there is also a Tribal set-aside that would ensure 10 percent of the program funding is allocated to Tribal governments using a formula established by the Secretary.

Why does this matter? Many Tribes participated in the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA) before it was terminated last year. The LFPA, as it existed, did not have ongoing statutory authorization. However, inclusion of the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Program in the House Farm Bill would establish ongoing statutory authorization for a program similar to the LFPA. Under the LFPA, not only could Tribes choose the food they purchased to make available for Tribal members, many chose to purchase food directly from Tribal producers. Tribes’ decisions to purchase from Tribal producers can be life-changing for a producer who has access to a new market that provides stability for their business and opportunities for growth, and is supportive of Tribal economic development through partnerships with business owners who are part of the respective Tribe’s community.

Tribal Self-Determination and Tribal Parity

• Section 4204 of the House Farm Bill would establish the Commodity Supplemental Food Program Demonstration Project for Tribal Organizations, which would authorize the USDA to enter into self-determination contracts with eligible Tribes to purchase agricultural commodities for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. There is only $1,000,000 authorized to carry out this demonstration project.

Why does this matter? In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress authorized a 638 FDPIR pilot project. In the years since, several Tribes participated in the pilot program, choosing types of food (within certain parameters) they would include in FDPIR packages and choosing who they would purchase these products from. During the FDPIR warehouse disruption in 2024, Tribes that were 638 FDPIR pilot participants and/or participated in the LFPA had avenues for ensuring Tribal FDPIR customers still had access to food. In recent years, members of Congress introduced bills to make the 2018 pilot project permanent; however, these did not make it into the current House Farm Bill.

• Section 2302 of the House Farm Bill would establish a new Soil Health Program, which includes Tribes and States as eligible entities for participation. The programming is intended to improve soil health on agricultural land that is broadly consistent with the soil health principles of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. An eligible Tribe would have the choice to participate on its own or to be incorporated into an application of an eligible state. The provision authorizes grants to eligible Tribes in the amount of $5 million or 75% of the cost of implementing the Tribal soil health program in the fiscal year.

Why does this matter? Any program that includes the state as an eligible government must include Tribes. Approximately 44 million acres of the 56 million-plus acres that are Indian Country are categorized as agricultural lands outside the scope of state jurisdiction. Accordingly, inclusion of Tribes is critical to ensuring Tribal agricultural lands benefit from USDA programming in the same way lands under state jurisdiction do.

Areas of Interest for Tribal Producers— the Business of Agriculture

Producers know firsthand that being in the business of agriculture requires high-cost inputs and weathering risks beyond a producer’s control. While the following provisions are not necessarily Tribal-specific, they are generally viewed as good for producers and would:

• Reduce the number of years of experience required before a producer can obtain a farm ownership loan through USDA’s Farm Service Agency;

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• Authorize FSA-guaranteed loans to be refinanced as FSA direct loans when a borrower is distressed (in monetary default or facing foreclosure);

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• Increase loan limits for farm ownership loans, farm operating loans, and direct micro-loans from FSA; and

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• Include Tribes as eligible entities to receive financing from a Farm Credit Bank, direct lender association, or bank for cooperatives for the purpose of developing, building, maintaining, and improving essential community facilities in rural areas.

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