H.R. 7562: Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026

Introduced Feb 12, 20263 cosponsors

Sponsor

Marilyn Strickland

Democrat · WA-10

USDA shouldn't just work for big farms

4 min readLast updated July 29, 2026

Why it matters

$25,000 can be the difference between fixing equipment, covering an uninsured loss, or missing another season. H.R. 7562 would create a permanent USDA office for smaller operations and back it with grants, coordinators, and an anonymous hotline.

H.R. 7562 would create a dedicated Office of Small Farms inside USDA for operations generally under 180 acres and under $350,000 in annual gross cash farm income.

The new office would be responsible for one problem in plain English: smaller producers often struggle to access federal farm programs that are easier for larger operations to navigate. So the bill sets up a central office, requires liaisons across major USDA agencies, and puts one small-farm coordinator in every state.

It also creates direct help. Eligible operators could get grants of up to $25,000 for repairs, uninsured losses, business planning, market development, conservation practices, and down payments to buy land.

The bill is not just about advice—it gives small operators a place to complain anonymously when USDA programs are not working for them, and requires the department to respond with better coordination.

On the funding side, the bill authorizes $10 million a year for technical assistance and grants and another $15 million a year for administration from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. That is up to $125 million over five years if Congress fully funds it.

For a small producer, the core change is simple: instead of navigating USDA office by office, you would have a permanent in-house advocate focused on your size of operation.

Bill Progress

IntroducedFeb 12

Committee

Pass House

Pass Senate

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Mar 20, 2026

1/2

Assigned to Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit. for review

H.R. 7562 Bill Summary

What H.R. 7562 actually does.

Small farms get a permanent USDA office

The bill creates an Office of Small Farms within USDA's farm production and conservation mission area, led by a director focused on improving support for smaller operations.

Smaller producers could get grants up to $25,000

Eligible operators could receive grants for equipment and infrastructure repairs, uninsured losses, business planning, market development, conservation practices, and land down payments.

Every state gets a small-farm coordinator

USDA would have to designate a state small farms coordinator in each state to help improve how department programs reach and serve smaller operations.

USDA agencies would have to coordinate

Major USDA agencies and offices would each appoint a liaison to work with the new office on outreach, education, and internal coordination for small farms, ranches, and forest operations.

Farmers could report access problems anonymously

The office would operate a hotline for operators to anonymously report problems they run into when trying to access USDA programs.

USDA would review rules that shut small farms out

The office would review department programs and policies, identify barriers for small operations, and recommend changes to improve participation.

Who benefits from H.R. 7562?

Smaller farms, ranches, and forest operations under the bill's size limits

If your operation is generally under 180 acres and under $350,000 in annual gross cash farm income, you could qualify for targeted help, technical assistance, and grants up to $25,000.

Producers recovering from losses or aging equipment

Operators dealing with uninsured losses or needed equipment and infrastructure repairs could use the grant program as a smaller-scale safety valve when one bad season hits hard.

Farmers trying to expand access to land

The bill allows grants to help with down payments for land acquisition, which could matter most for operators trying to secure acreage without large upfront capital.

Producers who struggle to navigate USDA programs

State coordinators, agency liaisons, and an anonymous hotline are aimed at people who need someone inside USDA to help untangle applications, outreach, and inconsistent treatment.

Who is affected by H.R. 7562?

USDA and its agencies

The department would have to stand up a new office, appoint liaisons across multiple agencies, train coordinators, review internal barriers, and run a complaint hotline.

State USDA offices

Each state would need a small farms coordinator, and at least part of that employee's workload would shift toward planning, coordination, and technical assistance for smaller operations.

Larger farm interests

Large producers are not the target population. The bill would redirect some administrative attention and authorized funding toward smaller operations instead.

Taxpayers and appropriators

Congress would still need to fund the bill's authorizations before the office, grants, and state-level support could operate at full scale.

Cost & Funding

Authorization

H.R. 7562 authorizes $25 million per year from fiscal years 2027 through 2031—$10 million annually for technical assistance and grants, plus $15 million annually for administration.

If fully funded for all five years, that totals $125 million.
At the maximum grant size of $25,000, $10 million a year could support about 400 grants annually before any administrative or cooperative-agreement costs within that bucket.
The $15 million administrative authorization would fund the office itself, coordination across USDA agencies, training, and state-level implementation.

Share this story

Tracking floor activity — no debate on H.R. 7562 yet. Updates when a legislator speaks on the record.

HR7562 Legislative Journey

2 actions

House: Committee Action

Mar 20, 2026

Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.

House: Committee Action

Feb 12, 2026

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

About the Sponsor

Marilyn Strickland

Democrat, Washington's 10th congressional district · 5 years in Congress

Committees: Armed Services, Transportation and Infrastructure

View full profile →

Cosponsors (3)

No new cosponsors in 165 days — momentum stalled

All 3 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 3 states: Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina.

3Democrats·3 states

Alma Adams

Democrat · NC

James McGovern

Democrat · MA

Frederica Wilson

Democrat · FL

Committee Sponsors

Agriculture Committee

24D29R

|2 signed51 not yet

2 of 53 committee members cosponsored

Alma Adams

Jim McGovern

22 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents

What laws does H.R. 7562 change?

1 changes

Full Text

Sections Amended

Section 296(b) of Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b))

adding at the end the following: ``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out section 229

H.R. 7562 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

Committee: Agriculture
Chamber: House
Policy: Agriculture and Food
Introduced: Feb 12, 2026

Assigned to Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit. for review

Mar 20, 2026

Constituent Resources

Find your legislators on H.R. 7562

Get notified when this bill moves

Take Action

Mobilize constituents on H.R. 7562

See how Legisletter works

H.R. 7562 Common Questions

What counts as a small farm under H.R. 7562?

Generally, an operation must be under 180 acres and under $350,000 in annual gross cash farm income. The bill also lets USDA adjust the acreage standard by region or production system.

How much money could a farm get under H.R. 7562?

Up to $25,000 per operator. The grants could go to eligible small farms, ranches, or forest operations that meet the bill's size and income limits.

What could the grants pay for?

Repairs and upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, market development, conservation practices, and down payments for land acquisition. USDA could also allow other approved uses.

Would H.R. 7562 create a new USDA office?

Yes. It would create an Office of Small Farms inside USDA to coordinate support for smaller farms, ranches, and forest operations across the department.

Would every state have a small-farm coordinator?

Yes. The bill says USDA must designate one state small farms coordinator in each state to help improve delivery of department programs for smaller operations.