Washington and the Farm Bill
Washington and the Farm Bill from Farmer Gripe: 18 articles for readers in Oklahoma and beyond.
“We Aren’t Being Listened To”: Inside the New Farmer Poll That Should Worry Washington
What farmer sentiment polls can and cannot tell you, how to read one critically, and how to make your own voice count…
Washington and the Farm BillCongressional Inaction: Why Farmers Are Still Waiting for a Five-Year Farm Bill
Why a delayed five-year farm bill matters for planting and credit decisions, what extensions do, and how to follow…
Washington and the Farm BillAd Hoc Aid Is Not a Farm Bill: The Frustration of Farming on Temporary Payments
Why one-time farm aid helps but cannot replace a farm bill, how producers can budget around temporary payments, and…
Washington and the Farm BillWhat Happens When the Safety Net Is a Patchwork of Promises
How the farm safety net fits together, where the gaps appear when aid is temporary, and how producers can map their…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy Farmers Feel Like Political Pawns in an Election-Year Giveaway
Why some farmers see election-year aid as political rather than practical, what defenders argue, and how to evaluate…
Washington and the Farm Bill“A Shell of a Farm Bill”: The Partisan Gridlock Frustrating Producers
Why partisan gridlock complicates farm bill passage, what a stripped-down bill might leave out, and how producers can…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy the 2026 Midterm Promises Feel Like Too Little, Too Late
How to evaluate campaign-season promises to farmers by asking about funding, timing and detail, and what both…
Washington and the Farm BillHow Ad Hoc Disaster Payments Became the New Normal—and Why Farmers Hate It
Ad hoc disaster payments help in a crisis but make planning hard. Learn how they work, why farmers are wary, and where…
Washington and the Farm BillA Farmer’s Open Letter to Washington: Stop Using Us as Leverage
Farmers say they bear the cost when trade and political fights use agriculture as a bargaining chip. Read the…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy the “Farmer Safety Net” Feels More Like a Tightrope
Farm safety net programs help, but gaps, deadlines and rules leave many farmers feeling exposed. See how the pieces…
Washington and the Farm BillWhat a “Blue Wave” Would Mean for Farmers Who Feel Abandoned
A change in congressional majorities can shift farm policy debates. See what could change, what supporters and critics…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy the Farm Bill’s “Reference Price” Fix Is Only a Band-Aid
What reference prices do in the farm safety net, why supporters like raising them, and why critics say it does not fix…
Washington and the Farm BillA Season of “What Ifs”: Planning for a Future Without a Farm Bill
How to plan your operation if farm bill programs lapse or get delayed: budgeting without payments, loan talks…
Washington and the Farm BillThe Political Apathy Spreading Across the Corn Belt
Why some farm families feel disconnected from politics, what supporters and critics say about it, and how to stay…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy the “Safety Net” Has Holes for Beginning Farmers
Why crop insurance, commodity programs and credit can fall short for new farmers and ranchers, what supporters and…
Washington and the Farm BillThe Real Meaning of “Farm Income” When Your Equity Is Shrinking
Net farm income can look fine while a family's equity shrinks. Learn the difference between income, cash flow and net…
Washington and the Farm BillWhy the “Farm Safety Net” Needs a Complete Rethink
The case that the farm safety net needs a rethink: what supporters of reform argue, what defenders say, and the facts…
Washington and the Farm BillFrom Grievance to Action: What Farmers Can Do When Washington Won’t Listen
Frustrated with Washington? Here is how farmers turn grievance into action: build a specific ask, use farm groups…