The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill officially expired September 30. Congress won’t return to D.C. until November 12, after the election, leaving just five more weeks to do business. Earlier this year, the House Agriculture Committee advanced a version of the Farm Bill, but it has not been approved by the full House, and the Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to hold a markup of their proposed version of the Farm Bill.

Among the many pieces of the Farm Bill are conservation programs that provide $6 billion a year to help farmers and ranchers adopt better conservation systems. Going forward without a new Farm Bill puts a number of these programs at risk, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, which presently does not have legal authority to operate.

Further delays also shrink an opportunity to make a generational investment in conservation programs. In 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which added nearly $20 billion to several conservation programs to help farmers and ranchers adopt climate-smart conservation practices.

While extremely positive, this investment was just one-time funding. This Farm Bill cycle, Congress has a unique opportunity to fold nearly $14 billion that remains into the Farm Bill in a way that could increase long-term funding for conservation–perhaps a 20% or 30% increase annually–for decades to come. This strategy has been embraced by both Republicans and Democrats alike; however, to make the most of the opportunity, Congress must act swiftly.

The Department of Agriculture is taking applications for the IRA funds Congress gave it for 2025, and once those dollars are spent, they cannot be folded into the Farm Bill. If Congress acts before year-end, it still has a chance to fold remaining funding into the Farm Bill and maximize its long-term investment.

Why the Farm Bill matters

Americans across the country rely on the Farm Bill to feed, clothe and fuel their families. The Bill ensures a safety net for our nation’s farmers and ranchers, promotes prosperous rural communities, and provides sustainable solutions to protect our natural resources. In the Midwest, the large number of agricultural communities and economies makes the Farm Bill critical.

This Farm Bill cycle presents a unique and generational opportunity to invest in conservation programs. By moving the $14 billion dollars of remaining IRA funding into the conservation baseline to support climate-smart agricultural practices, we can better meet farmer and rancher demand for voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs and move the needle on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while also rebuilding the health of our soils, protecting the quality and quantity of our waters, and restoring wildlife habitat.

Conservation leadership and land stewardship are homegrown in the Midwest, and we are well represented on the Senate and House agriculture committees for a reason. We have full confidence that with a bipartisan commitment to the American people, Congress can enact a 2024 Farm Bill that will meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

What can you do?

Indiana has some key congressional leaders that sit on committees that will have a major influence on passing a bipartisan Farm Bill and allocating appropriations that would go to fund conservation programs.

Make your voice heard. Tell these congressional leaders, Hoosiers want our tax dollars to protect pivotal nutrition programs and proven conservation programs that build resilient food systems. Contact these congressional leaders and ask them to please seize this opportunity to create an enduring conservation legacy.