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

Introduced Feb 12, 20265 cosponsors

Sponsor

Marilyn Strickland

Democrat · WA-10

Small farms deserve their own front door at USDA

4 min readLast updated September 28, 2026

Why it matters

Up to $25,000 in direct grants for small farms, ranches, and forest operations: money for repairs, uninsured losses, land down payments, and conservation work. H.R. 7562 would also create a permanent Office of Small Farms at USDA, put a small-farm coordinator in every state, and open an anonymous hotline for reporting when USDA programs don't work for small operators.

H.R. 7562 would give operations under 180 acres and under $350,000 in yearly gross cash farm income a dedicated Office of Small Farms at USDA, plus grants of up to $25,000 each.

USDA already runs dozens of loan, cost-share, and insurance programs. The bill aims at who ends up using them. It tells the new office to hunt down the rules, policies, and guidance that put small operations at a disadvantage and recommend fixes.

The grants cover the costs that sink a small operation in one bad year: equipment and infrastructure repairs, losses insurance didn't cover, business planning, market development, conservation practices, and down payments on land. USDA can approve other uses too.

The office wouldn't work alone. Nine USDA agencies, from the Farm Service Agency to the Risk Management Agency, would each name a liaison to it. Every state would get a small farms coordinator who spends at least half their time on small operations and writes a state plan covering each county office.

If you run into a wall with a USDA program, you could report it through an anonymous hotline, and the department would have to report to Congress every year on whether small-farm participation is actually improving.

The 180-acre line isn't rigid. USDA can set a different acreage cutoff based on your region or what you produce, since 180 acres of vegetables and 180 acres of rangeland are very different businesses. The $350,000 income cap applies either way.

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 operations get their own office at USDA

Creates a permanent Office of Small Farms within USDA's farm production and conservation mission area, run by a director who coordinates small-farm support across every department agency.

Grants of up to $25,000 per operator

Eligible operators could receive grants for equipment and infrastructure repairs, uninsured losses, business planning, market development, conservation practices, and down payments on land. State coordinators could also award these grants.

A small-farm coordinator in every state

Each state gets a coordinator drawn from existing Farm Service Agency, conservation, rural development, or crop insurance staff. At least 50% of their duties must involve small operations, and they write a state plan covering every county and area office.

Nine USDA agencies must name a liaison

The Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency, Rural Development, and five other agencies each appoint a liaison to coordinate outreach and education for small operations.

An anonymous line to report USDA problems

The office runs a hotline where small operators can report, without giving their names, problems they hit when trying to use USDA programs.

USDA has to find the rules that shut small farms out

The office reviews department programs and policies, identifies provisions that disadvantage small operations, and recommends changes. USDA reports to Congress each year on participation results, program by program.

Who benefits from H.R. 7562?

Small farms, ranches, and forest operations

If you farm under 180 acres (or under a regional cutoff USDA sets) and gross less than $350,000 a year, you'd have a dedicated office, a state coordinator, and grants of up to $25,000.

Operators hit by a loss insurance didn't cover

A flooded barn, a failed well, or storm damage outside your policy could qualify for a grant, which may be the difference between repairing and selling.

People trying to buy their first land

Grants can go toward a land down payment, and the office also covers succession planning, which matters for families trying to keep a small farm from being sold off.

Producers who've given up on USDA paperwork

State coordinators and technical assistance are meant to walk operators through USDA's grant, cost-share, and loan programs, from applying to carrying out the work.

Who is affected by H.R. 7562?

USDA and its agencies

The department would stand up a new office, appoint liaisons across nine agencies, train state coordinators, run a hotline, and report to Congress every year.

State USDA staff

One existing employee per state would spend at least half their time on small operations. That can be the same person already serving as the state's beginning farmer and rancher coordinator.

Larger farm operations

Operations above the acreage and $350,000 income limits can't get the grants, and some USDA staff time and outreach would shift toward smaller producers.

Taxpayers and appropriators

The bill authorizes $25 million a year but doesn't spend it on its own. Congress would have to appropriate the money each year for the office and grants to operate.

Cost & Funding

Authorization

H.R. 7562 authorizes $25 million per year from fiscal years 2027 through 2031: $15 million annually to run the Office of Small Farms and $10 million annually for technical assistance and grants.

Fully funded for five years, that totals $125 million.
If the entire $10 million went to maximum $25,000 grants, it would fund 400 a year. Technical assistance comes out of the same bucket, so the real number of grants would be lower.
More of the money goes to running the office than to grants: $15 million versus $10 million a year.

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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 (5)

This bill gained 1 cosponsor in the last 30 days

All 5 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 5 states: Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, and 2 more.

5Democrats·5 states

Alma Adams

Democrat · NC

James McGovern

Democrat · MA

Frederica Wilson

Democrat · FL

Eugene Vindman

Democrat · VA

Jahana Hayes

Democrat · CT

Committee Sponsors

Agriculture Committee

24D29R

|4 signed49 not yet

4 of 53 committee members cosponsored

20 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

5+1

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

Official Sources

H.R. 7562 on Congress.gov

Official bill text, sponsor and cosponsors, and committee actions for the Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026.

USDA Resources for Small-Scale Producers

The loans, conservation help, disaster aid, and safety-net programs available to small operations today, which the new office would help producers navigate.

USDA State Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinators

The existing state coordinator network the bill models its small farms coordinators on; the same employee can hold both roles.

7 U.S.C. 6934a: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordination

The statute creating state beginning farmer and rancher coordinators, which H.R. 7562 cites when setting up state small farms coordinators.

USDA Service Center Locator

Finds the county Farm Service Agency, NRCS, and Rural Development offices that each state small farms coordinator's plan would have to cover.

USDA Risk Management Agency

The crop insurance agency required to name a liaison to the Office of Small Farms, relevant to the bill's grants for uninsured losses.

America's Farms and Ranches at a Glance: 2025 Edition (USDA ERS)

USDA's statistics on U.S. farms by size, including production and household finances, for context on who the bill's small-farm definition covers.

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H.R. 7562 Common Questions

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

Under 180 acres and under $350,000 a year in gross cash farm income. USDA can swap in a different acreage cutoff based on your region or what you produce, but the income cap always applies. Ranches and forest operations qualify on the same terms.

How much grant money could my farm get?

Up to $25,000 per grant. The money can cover equipment and infrastructure repairs, uninsured losses, business planning, market development, conservation practices, down payments on land, and other uses USDA approves.

Could a small farm grant help me buy land?

Yes. Down payments for land acquisition are one of the listed uses. The office would also offer technical assistance with farmland preservation and succession planning.

Who would I actually talk to at USDA?

Your state small farms coordinator. Every state gets one, drawn from existing USDA state office staff, who must spend at least half their time on small operations and can award grants directly.

Can I report USDA problems without giving my name?

Yes. The new Office of Small Farms would run a hotline where small operators can anonymously report problems they run into trying to use USDA programs.

Is this the same as USDA beginning farmer programs?

No, it covers operations by size, not experience, so a farm run for 30 years can qualify. The bill does allow one employee to serve as both a state beginning farmer coordinator and the state small farms coordinator.

How much would H.R. 7562 cost?

It authorizes $25 million a year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, or $125 million total: $15 million a year to run the office and $10 million for grants and technical assistance. Congress would still have to appropriate the money.

Based on H.R. 7562 bill text