National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

NSAC News

NSAC Applauds Bicameral Reintroduction of the Save Our Small Farms Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

press@sustainableagriculture.net

Tel. 347.563.6408

NSAC Applauds Bicameral Reintroduction of the Save Our Small Farms Act 

Washington, DC, March 28, 2025 – Today, the Connecticut congressional delegation, led by Representative Johana Hayes (D-CT-5), reintroduced the Save Our Small (SOS) Farms Act. Rep. Hayes was joined by Representatives Larson (D-CT-1), Courtney (D-CT-2), DeLauro (D-CT-3), and Himes (D-CT-4), as well as Senators Blumenthal (D-CT) and Murphy (D-CT). 

“The SOS Farms Act includes common-sense reforms to remove burdensome red tape that prevents small, specialty crop, and direct-marketing farmers from accessing permanent farm safety net programs, namely the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Federal Crop Insurance Program,” said Billy Hackett, NSAC Policy Specialist. 

Among other provisions, the SOS Farms Act:

  • Establishes a simplified, revenue-based option within NAP to streamline access for farmers who are unable to enroll due to excessive acreage reporting and paperwork requirements; 
  • Creates an “on-ramp” for farmers without production history, including beginning farmers, to transition from enrollment in NAP to a Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance plan;
  • Authorizes the Farm Service Agency to pilot projects within NAP, data from which may be used to create new crop insurance options in coordination with the Risk Management Agency;
  • Includes a suite of improvements to WFRP, the first crop insurance policy available nationwide and that insures revenue loss for an entire farm under a single plan, as first introduced in the WFRP Improvement Act; and
  • Directs USDA to research and develop a weather index-based crop insurance pilot that would issue payment to participating farmers impacted by a qualifying natural disaster within 30 days, as first introduced in the WEATHER Act. 

The bill introduced in the House of Representatives includes all of the aforementioned reforms, while the Senate bill includes only the sections relevant to NAP. 

“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) believes the SOS Farms Act is the most comprehensive proposal to keep farmers farming in the face of uncertain economic and weather conditions, modernizing pivotal USDA programs to reach farmers before disaster strikes,” continued Hackett. “We invite collaboration with any and all policymakers who want to keep family farmers on the land.”

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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more: https://sustainableagriculture.net/