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Food & Water Stories

What You Need to Know About the Farm Bill

Two cowboys riding horses on a ranch.
Cowboys on Parker Ranch Bill and son Tom Parker sold their ranch's development rights to TNC in 2008. Parker Ranch and two other holdings are part of 270,000 acres now protected. © Ian Shive

The Farm Bill is America’s largest investment in the voluntary conservation, restoration and management of America’s private lands.

What is the Farm Bill? 

The Farm Bill provides voluntary, incentive-based programs that help farmers, ranchers and other landowners address climate change while conserving their land and way of life. It's the single largest source of U.S. federal funding for conserving, restoring and managing private land, including grasslands, forests, ranchlands and croplands.

The Farm Bill provides $6 billion annually for conservation. From incentivizing climate-smart agricultural practices to opening doors for permanent conservation through agricultural conservation easements, this critical bipartisan legislation benefits every single state in the country. Over 70% of the land in the lower 48 states is privately owned, making it eligible for Farm Bill programs that help spur healthier soils, cleaner water, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat conservation. The Farm Bill remains one of the country's most successful and important conservation programs. 

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A GREEN FUTURE (9:42) Water scarcity and a looming land sale threatened Claudia Hauser's family farm in Camp Verde, Ariz. — until opportunity knocked. A new relationship with TNC in Arizona led her to the Farm Bill, which helped protect her farm through conservation easements and drought resilience projects.

The Farm Bill Impacts All Americans

  • Green icon of trees.

    140M

    Through the Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers have voluntarily enrolled 140 million acres in conservation programs

  • Green icon of three people.

    46M

    The agriculture industry supports millions of jobs in the U.S.

  • Green icon of land with fence.

    70%

    In the lower 48 states, 70% of land is privately owned and eligible for Farm Bill programs

  • Green icon of a tractor.

    2M

    There are more than 2 million farms covering 475 million acres of land in the U.S.

People farming in a high tunnel.
The Martins Carrie and Erin Martin plant crops in the high tunnel. © Morgan Heim
Woman standing in green jacket in an agriculture field.
mheim_TNCFarmBill_Arizona-8393 Claudia Hauser stands on her farm in Camp Verde, AZ © Morgan Heim
Person weating a tan jacket stands in a grove of trees.
Restoring the Longleaf Pine Salem Saloom stands within a grove of young longleaf pine that he has planted amonst a loblolly plantation.Loblolly has been a common tree in tree farms, but not able to withstand the storm forces that endangered longleaf can. In this grove, Saloom knows he'll need to cut the loblolly, as it is sick. The cut will make room for more longleaf. © Neon Raven
A man rides a horse among a herd of cattle.
Cattle Ranch Treg Hatcher runs a calf-cow operation in Syracuse, Kansas. He's been ranching all of his life. © Morgan Heim
People farming in a high tunnel.
The Martins Carrie and Erin Martin plant crops in the high tunnel. © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill Story

Sowing Seeds of Change

The Martin family has been farming their land in Mt. Olive, N.C. for more than 140 years. Over the decades, they've learned that surviving as a small-scale farmer is no easy task. When they wanted to build a new high tunnel to lengthen their growing season, they turned to the Farm Bill. The legislation provided funding and a water management plan, but they believe it can do even more to support small-scale farmers in the future.

Woman standing in green jacket in an agriculture field.
mheim_TNCFarmBill_Arizona-8393 Claudia Hauser stands on her farm in Camp Verde, AZ © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill Story

A Green Future on the Hauser's Family Farm

Water scarcity and a looming land sale threatened Claudia Hauser's family farm—until opportunity knocked. A new relationship with TNC in Arizona led her to the Farm Bill which helped protect her farm from development through conservation easements and funded projects that made her farm more resilient to drought.

Person weating a tan jacket stands in a grove of trees.
Restoring the Longleaf Pine Salem Saloom stands within a grove of young longleaf pine that he has planted amonst a loblolly plantation.Loblolly has been a common tree in tree farms, but not able to withstand the storm forces that endangered longleaf can. In this grove, Saloom knows he'll need to cut the loblolly, as it is sick. The cut will make room for more longleaf. © Neon Raven

Farm Bill Story

Restoring Salem Saloom’s Tree Farm

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated Dr. Salem Saloom’s tree farm. Faced with what to do next, Salem turned to the Farm Bill. He used resources from the bill to replace his downed tree stands with longleaf pine, a native tree species that is more resilient to wind from hurricanes.

A man rides a horse among a herd of cattle.
Cattle Ranch Treg Hatcher runs a calf-cow operation in Syracuse, Kansas. He's been ranching all of his life. © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill Story

How the Farm Bill Saved the Hatcher Family Ranch

For Treg Hatcher, his ranch in Kansas means everything to him. So, when severe drought and a prairie dog invasion left him on the verge of selling the ranch, he was devastated. But assistance from the Farm Bill’s EQIP program funded improvements that saved his cattle and land. Now, it's thriving.

Next Steps for the Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is one of our biggest opportunities to make meaningful, substantial gains for conservation. 

The 2018 Farm Bill was the most conservation-focused yet, increasing funding for easements that help farmers conserve their lands, enacting new policies to improve the management of private forest lands, and many other steps.

Congress only renews the Farm Bill every five years, so we need to build on the success of 2018 to prioritize conservation while supporting the rural communities that care for and work on these lands.

In November 2023, Congress voted to extend the current Farm Bill for one year—until September 30, 2024. Farm Bill programs have been in limbo since the bill expired at the end of September so this extension ensures there will not be a gap in funding for programs that support farmers, ranchers and conservation efforts across the country. 

As Congress continues to debate these vital measures, we urge them to invest in a Farm Bill that will support healthy food and soils, clean water, strong communities and a robust economy.

A person carries a tray while walking through agricultural crops, including red peppers, which are growing in the foreground.
The Blaney Farm The agricultural sector currently makes up over 10 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. Climate-smart agricultural practices and programs supported in the Farm Bill help farmers tackle environmental and water pollution, while also cutting planet-warming emissions by providing increased technical support, funding and training to help farmers meet the challenges of the climate crisis. © Alex Snyder/TNC

Critical Farm Bill Programs and Policies

Two people ride in a flat-bottomed boat on the flat waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
CLEAN WATERS Keeping waters clean is one of the aims of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. © Jason Houston

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Increasing the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water and other natural resources on a scale large enough to make a significant impact is daunting at times—but it’s important work that benefits us all. The best approach is often working with partners in strategic areas to address the most critical conservation needs with as many hands as possible.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), introduced in the 2014 Farm Bill, makes this approach possible. Starting with federal resources, RCPP brings new partners and new funding to the conservation table, maximizing the impact.

RCPP empowers communities and drives public-private partnerships to find local, innovative solutions to complex natural resource challenges for watersheds and landscapes. To date, RCPP has mobilized more than 2,000 conservation partners who have invested about $1.4 billion, doubling the amount of federal funding for these projects.

A lush, green and wild meadow with vibrant wildflowers.
Safeguarding Lands Conservation easements are legally binding agreements that keep property in private hands and are important for safeguarding wildlife habitat and other natural resources. © Rick McEwan

Conservation Easement Programs

Conservation easements are one of the most potent and practical tools available for the permanent conservation of private lands in the United States. They are voluntary, legally binding agreements that limit certain types of uses or prevent development from taking place on a piece of property now and in the future, protecting the property’s ecological and open space values.

For more than 40 years, easements have protected wildlife habitat and open space from development, kept land in private hands and generated significant benefits for the public.

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program in the Farm Bill includes two vital components: Agricultural Land Easements and Wetlands Reserve Easements. Agricultural Land Easements protect the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing the conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses, while Wetlands Reserve Easements improve water quality and supply, provide habitat for fish and wildlife and support outdoor recreation. 

A close-up of a person's hand holding rich, brown soil.
It's In Our Hands Improving soil health Is one of the most important things we can do—for all of us. © Devan King/The Nature Conservancy

Improve Soil Health

Healthy soil is the cornerstone of life on Earth. It facilitates ecosystem diversity, amplifies food production, allows for effective water filtration and storage and captures soil carbon, which helps reduce the impacts of increasingly variable weather patterns.

The Farm Bill helps improve soil health by increasing the number of acres managed with soil health and nutrient stewardship practices through programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Suppose farmers can manage nutrients more efficiently to reduce runoff and restore wetlands to capture nutrients escaping their fields. In that case, it will lead to cleaner waterways and drinking water. And, since excessive nutrient runoff from farms and other sources contributes to algal blooms, it would slow the growth of dead zones that contaminate drinking water and suffocate aquatic life.

An aerial view of a river winding through a green landscape.
Louisiana The Farm Bill has improved water quality and can help farmers and other water users continue to find solutions that are both sustainable and best suited to their local needs. © Carlton Ward Jr/TNC

Take a Deeper Dive

  • The Farm Bill supports America's farmers, ranchers and forest stewards through a variety of programs that promote conservation practices, provide loans and grants, facilitate training and education and protect landowners from disasters. At a time when many farmers and ranchers are failing to make a livable profit, the Farm Bill provides a critical safety net for landowners and can play a significant role in combatting climate change. Other provisions authorized by the Farm Bill include support for food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides funds so low-income families can purchase groceries.

  • The Farm Bill is typically renewed every five years. Congress has enacted 18 Farm Bills since the original bill was passed in the 1930s. The most recent bill expired on September 30, 2023. A continuing resolution was passed in November 2023 to extend current Farm Bill programs, including those that support conservation, for one year until September 30, 2024.

  • The Farm Bill is the biggest investment the federal government makes in private lands conservation annually, so the reauthorization of its programs is a top priority for both the agriculture and environmental community. The reality is that passing Farm Bills is becoming more difficult. Several recent Farm Bills have been reauthorized months, even years, later than they were supposed to be passed. The 2018 Farm Bill was extended until September 30, 2024, so most of the Farm Bill’s conservation programs are safe for now, including many that TNC has long advocated for such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. But several programs remain at risk unless a Farm Bill is passed soon. It’s critical that Congress uses this extra time to craft a bill that builds on the remarkable progress of its predecessor and that will help forge a sustainable, productive future for our lands and way of life.

     

  • The Farm Bill titles can change with each new bill, but the 2018 Farm Bill had twelve titles. TNC’s policy priorities and work is focused on several of those key titles, including conservation, forestry and energy to name a few. Learn more about the Farm Bill titles and what they cover.