2026 Midterm Elections: What Farmers Must Know Now That Washington Has Changed Hands (and the One Income Stream That Doesn't Wait on Congress)

Nov 5

23 min read

Farmer at a fence reading a newspaper about the 2026 midterm elections beside a harvested field, with the US Capitol in the distance and a family farm stand and pick-your-own orchard on the right

Three farms in New York learned the hard way what a decision in Washington can do to a farm's income.

Their co-op, Choy Commons, sold produce to food assistance groups paid through USDA's local food programs. Wholesale income jumped from $60,000 in 2023 to $150,000 in 2024. Then USDA cancelled the programs. Income fell to $50,000 in 2025. The co-op projects just $20,000 for 2026.

Now control of Congress has changed hands. On November 3, 2026, Democrats won control of both the US House and Senate.

So what do the 2026 midterm elections mean for farmers? Here's the short answer. Almost nothing changes before January. Most of your 2026-2027 safety net is already locked into law. The big fights ahead are over SNAP, aid money, tariffs and farm labor. And the farms that will sleep best are the ones whose income doesn't wait on Congress.

The Short Answer: What Changes and What Doesn't

Changes: Democrats are expected to run the House and Senate Agriculture Committees from early January 2027. They will set the farm bill agenda, hold oversight hearings and control spending bills, including the money that refills USDA's aid account.

Doesn't change (for now): Higher reference prices, ARC/PLC, crop insurance subsidies, the $15 million estate tax exemption and the 199A deduction are already law. The president keeps his veto until January 2029. Most tariffs need no vote from Congress.

Still unknown: Whether a farm bill passes before January, whether the government stays open past December 11, and whether more ad hoc aid comes.

Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun, wrote this guide to take you past the headlines to your bank account.

What Actually Happened on November 3

Democrats won both chambers. The new majorities take over when the new Congress is sworn in, in early January 2027.

In the Senate, CBS News projects Democrats will hold at least 54 seats. Alaska and Mississippi were still uncalled as of the evening of November 4, with margins of a fraction of a percentage point.

In the House, the count was still moving. Projections ranged from at least 235 Democratic seats (Reuters) to about 251-268 (CBS News). It takes 218 to hold the majority. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is expected to become Speaker.

Farm country moved too.

Race	Result (projected)	Why farmers noticed
Kansas, US Senate	Adam Hamilton (D) beat Sen. Roger Marshall (R)	Marshall sits on Senate Ag. RFD-TV: first Democratic Senate win in Kansas in nearly a century
Iowa, US Senate	Josh Turek (D) beat Ashley Hinson (R)	Open seat; Sen. Joni Ernst (R), a Senate Ag member, is retiring
Iowa 3rd, US House	Sarah Trone Garriott (D) beat Rep. Zach Nunn (R)	Nunn sat on House Ag
Pennsylvania 8th, US House	Paige Cognetti (D) beat Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R)	Bresnahan sat on House Ag
Texas 15th, US House	Bobby Pulido (D) beat Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R)	De La Cruz sat on House Ag
Wisconsin 3rd, US House	Rebecca Cooke (D) beat Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R)	Van Orden sat on House Ag

Why did farm country shift? People who watch it closely give different reasons.

Collin Peterson, the former House Agriculture Committee chairman (D-Minn.), said: "I think farmers got just fed up with it." Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman said members voted as if Trump were on the ballot. President Trump said it was "largely true" that Republicans lost because of the Iran war, then clarified that he blamed gasoline prices rather than the war itself.

The morning after, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association president Ryan Mackenthun told Brownfield: "We want markets, open trade."

Whatever you make of the result, your job now is simple: work out what it does to your cash flow.

The Next 60 Days: The Lame-Duck Session

Here's a point that's easy to miss. Republicans still run both chambers until early January. Congress returns on November 9 for what's called the lame-duck session.

Leaders of both parties on both Agriculture Committees say they'll try to pass a farm bill this year.

Where the Farm Bill Stands

The House passed its bill, H.R. 7567, on April 30, 2026, by 224-200. Fourteen Democrats voted yes. Three Republicans voted no.

The Senate Agriculture Committee cleared its own version 12-11, along party lines, with Sen. Mitch McConnell casting the deciding vote.

Neither bill is law. The last farm bill extension lapsed on September 30, 2026. Since then, USDA's Farm Service Agency has stopped approving new Conservation Reserve Program contracts. It said it has "no statutory authority to approve contracts after Sept. 30."

Crop insurance and SNAP continue. ARC and PLC are funded through 2031 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed in July 2025.

The Gatekeeper: SNAP

The fight isn't really about crops. It's about when states must start paying part of SNAP benefits.

Republicans offer a one-year delay. Agri-Pulse reports that Senate Ag chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) has called it Republicans' best and final offer. He also says farmers "cannot afford another farm bill delay."

Democrats want two years.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says a compromise may be needed "with the Democrats to get 60 votes." Peter Tabor of Holland & Knight summed it up: "The SNAP issue is the gatekeeper."

Will It Pass?

Opinions split. Mary Kay Thatcher of MK Thatcher Consulting puts the lame-duck odds at "slim to none," and AgWeb reports that insiders predict another extension. Pro Farmer says Democrats may prefer to wait for the new Congress in 2027, when they'll have more leverage.

Texas A&M policy analyst Bart Fischer is more hopeful: "They're exploring the art of the possible." Before the election, Holland & Knight called a full bill a "realistic" year-end goal, with an extension as the fallback.

If nothing passes by early January, the process starts over in the new Congress.

December 11: The Date to Circle

The government runs on a stopgap that expires December 11, 2026. None of the 12 regular spending bills for fiscal 2027 has been enacted.

The House has passed its agriculture spending bill; the Senate has not. The policy site GOV.HOUSE describes shutdown risk as "real but concentrated in the final week" before the deadline.

In fall 2025, a 43-day shutdown closed USDA county offices at the start, and they reopened partway through with minimal staff.

December 11 is also the last day to enroll in ARC or PLC for 2026.

Field-Tested Play: Beat the December Rush

Enroll in ARC/PLC well before December 11, not in the final week when shutdown talk peaks. If you grow specialty crops, send your fuel-cost data to USDA now for the $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program. Get copies of every form and the name of the person who took it.

Commodity rates are due in November. Read the fine print in our breakdown of the $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief program.

Timeline of key dates for farmers after the 2026 midterm elections, from the lame-duck session and December 11 funding deadline to the new Congress in 2027 — Key dates to watch after the 2026 midterm elections

2027-2028: New Faces Running Farm Policy

The new Congress takes office in early January 2027. Each party then chooses its committee leaders. None of this is decided yet.

House Agriculture Committee

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the committee's current top Democrat, won't be back. She ran for the Senate and lost the Democratic primary.

Two Democrats are seeking the chair:

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), 74, who voted for the House farm bill. His pitch: "Keep farmers farming, keep families fed..."
Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio), 51, who voted against it. She says the committee "is at an inflection point."

Current chair Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Pa.) moves into the minority and is seeking a waiver to stay the top Republican; Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) wants the post if he can't. At least 12 House Ag members won't return.

Senate Agriculture Committee

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the current ranking Democrat, was elected governor of Minnesota and will leave the Senate.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) is described as a leading contender for chair. Some observers say Sherrod Brown, projected to return to the Senate from Ohio, could get the post on seniority. Current chair John Boozman is expected to become the top Republican.

At least seven Senate Ag members are leaving.

What the New Majority Has Said It Wants

Costa pledges to "reverse the cost shift to states" on SNAP. Democrats will also gain subpoena and hearing power, which opens the door to oversight of USDA. No specific hearings have been announced.

Other unfinished items include Prop 12, year-round E15 and possible new disaster aid. Agri-Pulse calls the House bill's Prop 12 provision a nonstarter in the Senate.

Jay Truitt of Policy Perspectives warns: "This may be our last farm bill" in the old form that bundles farm and food spending together.

Collin Peterson has his own warning: "You can't run farm policy on just one party."

Tariffs, Trade and Aid Payments

If you're hoping for fast change here, be careful.

In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the president can't impose tariffs under the emergency powers law known as IEEPA. The administration has relied on other trade laws instead, including Sections 232 and 301, and has used Section 338 for 50% tariffs on Canadian goods.

What Congress Can and Can't Do

A law limiting tariffs needs 60 Senate votes to get past a filibuster. Overriding a veto takes 67 senators and 290 House members. Section 232 and 301 tariffs need no new vote from Congress.

Blake Harden of Ernst & Young's Washington Council office says the election is "very unlikely to have a significant impact on the president's trade agenda."

What Democrats do gain: oversight hearings, the power to try to repeal old laws such as Section 338, and control over agency funding.

Rep. Richard Neal, expected to chair Ways and Means, says voters are tired of "price-hiking tariffs." Some Republicans have crossed party lines before on resolutions against the Canada tariffs.

China and Soybeans

China has committed to buy at least 25 million metric tons of US soybeans a year in 2026, 2027 and 2028. American Soybean Association president Scott Metzger says that "provides critical stability."

But China keeps a 10% retaliatory tariff on US soybeans, and the pledge is below the 29 million tons a year it averaged from 2020 to 2024. For growers who sold below cost, that gap hurts. We covered that squeeze in They Grew a Record Crop and Lost Money on Every Bushel.

The Aid Payments

Farmer Bridge Assistance: $12 billion, announced December 2025. Rates included $44.36 an acre for corn, $30.88 for soybeans and $39.35 for wheat. It paid more than 560,000 farmers.
Harvest Fuel Relief: $8 billion, announced October 19, 2026, for higher fuel and input costs.
Total: USDA's September forecast puts direct government payments to farms at $47.4 billion in 2026, up nearly 70% from $27.9 billion in 2025. That forecast came out before Harvest Fuel Relief was announced.

Bar chart of direct government payments to US farms rising from $27.9 billion in 2025 to $47.4 billion in 2026, about 30% of net farm income — Government payments now make up roughly 3 in every 10 dollars of net farm income

By our math, using USDA's own figures, that's roughly 3 in every 10 dollars of 2026 net farm income (about 30%), up from about 17% in 2025.

People read this differently. Kansas State's Gregg Ibendahl says the payments would "more than cover the increase in fuel costs." National Farmers Union president Rob Larew says repeated emergency aid shows "the farm safety net is failing family farmers." Collin Peterson says the payments "took the pressure off" but are pushing up land and input prices.

Here's the part that matters for 2027. USDA pays ad hoc aid through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), which can borrow up to $30 billion at a time. Congress refills it every year through spending bills, and the Congressional Budget Office projects it will hit that cap every year for a decade.

So the new majority will have a hand on that tap. We found no report of a Democratic plan to restrict aid. But future aid is less certain than past aid.

Reality Check: An Aid Check Is Not a Business Plan

Bridge payments and fuel relief were decided by USDA, funded through an account that Congress refills, and announced one program at a time. Budget with the money you have in hand, not the money you hope comes next. Europe is learning the same lesson as it redraws farm subsidies again.

Farm Labor and H-2A

If you hire seasonal workers, two things are moving. First, the H-2A wage rule. On August 26, 2026, the federal district court for the Eastern District of California found the Labor Department's 2025 method for setting H-2A wages unlawful. It did not throw the rule out, so current rates stay in effect for now. DOL must "promptly produce a new methodology."

If the new rates come out higher than what workers were paid, employers may owe back wages from September 2, 2026. DOL says no employer owes back wages at this time.

Second, the bills. Chairman Thompson's Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act (H.R. 9535) would open H-2A to year-round work, which would cover dairy, and rewrite the wage formula. It had 47 Republican and 5 Democratic cosponsors as of late July. We found no report of committee action on it, and no source we found predicts what happens next.

The pressure is real. About 42% of the roughly 2 million US farmworkers are undocumented, according to government surveys. New Jersey blueberry grower Brandon Raso told Harvest Public Media he needs about 600 harvest workers and could fill only about a third. His summary: "we couldn't harvest."

Some farms work around it by selling more themselves. At Becker Farms in Western New York, selling direct and turning extra fruit into cider and wine keeps the farm profitable and less exposed to harvest-labor problems, says co-owner Mindy Vizcarra.

If you're short of hands, read why nearly half of fruit and veg growers can't find enough workers. If you run a farm attraction, our guide to hiring seasonal staff for your agritourism farm covers the legal basics. Whether a corn maze or tour job counts as agricultural work under H-2A depends on DOL rules, so ask a labor attorney.

Field-Tested Play: Set Aside a Back-Wage Reserve

If you employ H-2A workers, keep clean hour records from September 2, 2026 onward. Put a modest reserve aside in case the new wage rates come in higher and back pay is owed. Ask your accountant how much makes sense for your payroll.

SNAP, Local Food Programs and Farmers Markets

Direct-sales farms often think Washington doesn't touch them. Here's where it does.

SNAP

SNAP participation is down 5.5 million people (13%) since OBBBA was enacted, according to July 2026 data.

Under OBBBA, states start paying part of SNAP benefits on October 1, 2027, unless Congress delays it. A state with an error rate below 6% pays nothing. A state at 10% or higher pays 15%. Separately, the federal share of states' SNAP administrative costs already fell from 50% to 25% on October 1, 2026.

Katie Bergh of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warns the costs "could drive some states to end SNAP altogether."

Democrats want at least a two-year delay. Republicans have offered a one-year delay. Any change still needs 60 Senate votes and the president's signature. Civil Eats reports Democratic governors will run a majority of states for the first time since 2010, and are expected to resist the cuts.

What does this mean at the market stall? In Illinois, about 120,000 residents lost SNAP. One Michigan farm selling at Chicago markets saw recent SNAP sales about 25% lower than usual. One Chicago vendor says the Link Match doubling program typically brings in more than a third of its market sales. Those are regional examples, not national data. But if SNAP shoppers matter to your stand, watch this closely.

On the plus side, the House bill renews GusNIP nutrition incentive grants, and the Senate bill makes SNAP online purchasing permanent.

Local Food Contracts

On March 11, 2025, USDA cancelled about $1 billion in Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance funding. USDA called it a "return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives."

That's the money that lifted Choy Commons and then dropped it. Illinois chicken farmer Ed Dubrick had doubled his flock twice on food-bank contracts. "It wasn't a handout," he says.

Both pending farm bills include a replacement local-food purchasing program. The House version has no mandatory funding.

Reality Check: Agritourism Isn't Immune

Fewer SNAP shoppers can mean thinner sales at your stand. Tariffs on Canadian goods can raise what you pay for supplies; Deep Roots Farm in southern Maryland, which sells locally, had a Canadian plug supplier pass on half its new tariff costs, nearly $1,000. Seasonal labor rules touch farm attractions too. Direct income is less exposed to Washington, not untouched by it.

USDA Programs, Conservation and Grants

Conservation. Both pending farm bills would cut EQIP: nearly $2 billion in the Senate draft, about $1.06 billion in the House bill. Jonathan Coppess of farmdoc estimates more than 56,500 approved EQIP applications could go unfunded under the Senate cuts. New CRP contracts remain paused.

Grants. The Value-Added Producer Grant round for fiscal 2026 closed April 22, 2026. Watch for the fiscal 2027 notice. The House bill keeps the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) and simplifies applications under $100,000. Our guides to agritourism grants and funding in 2026 and the Value-Added Producer Grant for agritourism show you how to get ready before the window opens.

Staffing. Nearly 18,000 employees left USDA in 2025. Employee unions have asked a federal judge to halt the department's relocation plan. Plan for slower answers at the county office, and start paperwork early.

Taxes: Estate Tax and 199A Are Settled for Now

Two tax rules matter to anyone passing on a farm with a farm stand, event barn or tourism business.

OBBBA made the estate tax exemption permanent at $15 million per person ($30 million per couple), indexed to inflation. Without that law, it would have fallen to about $5.5 million after 2025. It also made the 20% Section 199A qualified business income deduction permanent.

"Permanent" in tax law means no expiry date. It doesn't mean it can never change. But changing it takes a new law the president signs, and that's unlikely while the veto stands.

Before you restructure anything, work through the agritourism tax questions to ask your accountant.

What History Says About Midterm Flips and Farm Bills

This isn't the first midterm to hand Congress to the party out of the White House.

Timeline of midterm elections in 1994, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2026 and what happened to the next farm bill each time — Midterm flips and farm bill outcomes since 1994

Midterm	What flipped	What happened to the farm bill
1994 (Clinton, D)	Republicans won both chambers	In December 1995, Clinton vetoed the budget bill that carried "Freedom to Farm." The farm bill was signed in April 1996.
2006 (Bush, R)	Democrats won both chambers	The 2008 farm bill was about 9 months late. Bush vetoed it twice. Congress overrode him twice, by wide bipartisan margins.
2010 (Obama, D)	Republicans won the House	The House rejected its own farm bill in 2013 in a fight over SNAP. The 2014 farm bill was about 16 months late. No veto.
2018 (Trump, R)	Democrats won the House	The outgoing Republican Congress finished the bill in the lame duck. Signed December 20, 2018, about 3 months late.

No. 1: A flip creates lame-duck pressure. In 2018, the outgoing majority finished the bill rather than hand it over. Peterson, then the incoming chairman, said at the time: "My sense is this is going to get worked out (in the lame-duck session)."

No. 2: SNAP is usually the sticking point. It sank the House bill in 2013, and it's the gatekeeper again now.

No. 3: Delays are normal. Bills ran about 3 to 16 months late, with stopgap extensions along the way. Plan for delay, not for a rescue.

What Likely Won't Change: The Veto Math

President Trump stays in office until January 2029, and he keeps the veto.

To override a veto, Congress needs 67 senators and 290 House members. On current projections, Democrats have neither.

Chart showing projected Democratic seats in the Senate and House compared with the 60-vote filibuster line and the 67 and 290 votes needed to override a veto — Why big changes still need votes from both parties

The president has said he'd become "Mr. Veto" if Democrats took Congress, but also: "I don't want to be just sitting there for two years vetoing everything."

Iowa's governor-elect Rob Sand, a Democrat, made the same point from the other side: "Come January, we will be forced to work together."

History backs this up. In 2008, a farm bill became law over two vetoes because it had big support from both parties. Bipartisan farm bills can still pass. Partisan ones are likely to stall.

So OBBBA's farm provisions are likely to stay, most tariffs likely stay, and USDA still runs aid, grants and its reorganization. Congress's main levers are spending bills, CCC refills, hearings and Senate confirmations.

What It Means for Your Type of Farm

These are likely effects based on what's been reported so far: forecasts, not promises.

Farm type	What's most likely to matter	What to watch
Row crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice)	Reference prices and ARC/PLC are locked in through 2031. Aid and tariffs are the wild cards.	ARC/PLC enrollment by Dec 11; Harvest Fuel Relief rates; China's purchases; CCC funding in 2027
Specialty crops, fruit and vegetables	Labor costs and SNAP and local-food buyers matter most.	New H-2A wage rates and possible back pay; GusNIP; any local-food program in the 2027 farm bill
Livestock and dairy	Livestock receipts are forecast down 5.4% in 2026. DMC Tier I coverage is now 6 million pounds.	Year-round H-2A (would cover dairy); beef country-of-origin labeling; Prop 12 fight
Direct-to-consumer and agritourism	Least exposed to commodity prices and aid, but not to SNAP, input tariffs or labor rules.	SNAP cost share; VAPG and LAMP grant notices; state agritourism laws; your insurance

Chart rating farm income streams by how much they depend on Washington, from high for aid payments and export sales to lower for direct sales and agritourism — How much does your farm income depend on Washington?

The Farm Economy Behind the Vote

Here's what USDA forecast in September for 2026:

Net farm income: $158.4 billion, down 2.6% from 2025 (down 5.5% after inflation)
Production expenses: $492.8 billion, up 4.5%
Fuel and oil: up 28.8%
Fertilizer: up 15.3%
Farm debt: a record $605.1 billion

The American Farm Bureau Federation says "the revision does not signal broad financial relief." We dug into the debt numbers in US farm debt just hit a record $605 billion, and the cost side in 47% of farmers say this is their No. 1 problem.

Farm bankruptcies are rising too. There were 292 Chapter 12 filings from January to September 2026, up nearly 19% from 246 a year earlier. Arkansas led the third quarter with 12 filings and has had 32 so far this year.

Harrison Pittman of the National Agricultural Law Center wonders "how many farm operators have simply ceased farming" without filing. Read what the survivors are doing differently.

And here's the number that stopped us cold. USDA forecasts median on-farm income for farm households at minus $467 in 2026. Median off-farm income is $93,975. In 2023, about 77% of farm household income came from off-farm sources, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. For most farm families, the paycheck that keeps the farm going doesn't come from the farm.

Why Policy-Proof Income Matters More Than Who Won

Every two years, someone wins and someone loses in Washington. Your mortgage payment doesn't care. That's why some farms build income that depends on their own customers, not on a vote, a pledge from Beijing or an aid announcement.

The numbers are bigger than most people think. The 2022 Census of Agriculture found 28,617 farms earned $1.26 billion from agritourism and recreation, an average of $44,004 each, up 12.4% from 2017 after inflation. Another 116,617 farms sold $3.26 billion of food directly to consumers.

Statistics on agritourism income of $1.26 billion from 28,617 farms and direct-to-consumer food sales of $3.26 billion in the 2022 Census of Agriculture — Agritourism and direct-sales income from the 2022 Census of Agriculture

In New York, the state comptroller found agritourism and recreation income rose 78% from 2012 to 2022, while farm numbers fell nearly 14%. See the full picture in our agritourism statistics for 2026.

The Farmer Who Put a Pencil to It

Andrew Donnell's family farm in Jackson, Tennessee, dates to 1826. He's the seventh generation.

The farm grew corn, soybeans and cotton until 2019, then leased that ground to another farmer. "None of the commodities are working well when I put a pencil to it," he told Progressive Farmer.

Today he and his mother run Donnell Century Farm Adventure, with about 30 attractions, plus a farm market with a butcher shop. Food brings in about a third of gross revenue. He planted 100,000 tulips to draw new customers.

His income now rides on families who choose to visit, not on a tariff schedule.

The Farm That Didn't Feel the Trade War

Mike and Abby Fahrner run Stone Pillar Farm, 20 acres in western Maryland. They sell vegetables, pastured chickens and grass-fed beef locally. In late 2025, Mike Fahrner told Civil Eats that tariffs hadn't hurt them. His reason: "We market locally. Everything's right here."

A Note From Bentong

I'm the founder of Bloopy Durians in Bentong, Malaysia. Our durian seasons are short, roughly four to five months a year in total, falling between December and February and between June and August. We welcome visitors from all over the world, and many companies send their staff and management. One of our most reliable income sources is our WhatsApp list of loyal customers who buy whenever durians are available. That list doesn't wait on a vote in any capital.

Reality Check: It Takes Money and the Right Cover

Agritourism startup costs run from about $50,000 to $500,000 or more. Suzi Spahr of NAFDMA International Agritourism Association warns that typical farm policies often don't cover agritourism. Check your agritourism insurance coverage before the first visitor arrives.

Want to see how others closed the gap? Read how farms are using agritourism to fill the gap when crop prices fall.

Your 90-Day Action Plan

Here's what to do between now and early February, whoever you voted for.

Days 1-30 (Now to December 11)

Enroll in ARC or PLC before December 11. Don't wait for the final week.
Check whether you qualify for Harvest Fuel Relief. Specialty growers: send fuel-cost data to USDA.
If you had a CRP contract pending, call your FSA office and ask where it stands.
Stress-test your cash flow three ways: a farm bill passes in the lame duck, another extension passes, or nothing passes until 2027.

Days 31-60 (Mid-December to Mid-January)

Watch what happens on December 11: a full-year agriculture bill, another stopgap or a shutdown.
Start a customer list: email, text or WhatsApp. Every farm stand buyer is a name you can keep.
Pick one direct-sales or visitor offer to test in spring: a pick-your-own weekend, a farm tour, a field trip or a beef box.
Call your insurer before you invite the public onto your land.

Days 61-90 (Mid-January to Early February)

Note who the new Agriculture Committee chairs are and what they put first.
Watch for the fiscal 2027 Value-Added Producer Grant notice and get your paperwork ready.
Take the free Farm Readiness Quiz below to see where your farm stands.

If cash is already tight, start with how to fix farm cash flow problems.

Questions to Ask Your Lender, Accountant, Insurer and FSA Office

This isn't legal, tax or financial advice. These are questions to take to the professionals who know your farm.

Ask your lender:

If aid payments shrink in 2027, how does that change my repayment ability on paper?
Would income from agritourism or direct sales count toward my repayment capacity?

Ask your accountant:

How do the permanent $15 million estate exemption and 199A deduction affect my succession plan?
When will my Bridge or Fuel Relief payments be taxed, and do I need to plan for that now?

Ask your insurer:

Does my current farm policy cover visitors, events or on-farm sales?
What would it cost to add agritourism liability coverage?

Ask your FSA office:

Is my ARC/PLC election recorded for 2026?
What happens to my pending CRP application while the farm bill authority is lapsed?
If there's a shutdown after December 11, what deadlines move and which don't?

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the farm bill pass in the lame-duck session?

Nobody knows yet. Both parties say they'll try, but many insiders expect another extension. If nothing passes by early January, the process starts over in the new Congress. Meanwhile crop insurance and SNAP continue, and ARC/PLC is funded through 2031.

Will a Democratic Congress end the tariffs?

Probably not quickly. Laws limiting tariffs need 60 Senate votes, and overriding a veto needs 67 senators and 290 House members. Section 232 and 301 tariffs need no vote from Congress. Expect hearings and pressure, not fast repeal.

Will there be more farm aid payments?

Harvest Fuel Relief ($8 billion) is already announced. Beyond that, nothing is promised. Congress refills the CCC account that pays ad hoc aid, so the new majority gains more say, but no specific plan has been reported.

How will SNAP changes affect farmers markets and farm stands?

SNAP participation is already down 13% since OBBBA. States start paying part of benefits on October 1, 2027, unless Congress delays it. Fewer SNAP shoppers can mean lower sales for vendors who rely on them, as some Illinois markets have seen.

Is agritourism really safe from Washington?

Safer, not safe. Visitor and direct-sales income doesn't depend on commodity prices, export deals or aid announcements. But SNAP, input tariffs, labor rules and grant programs still touch it. State law and insurance often matter even more.

I farm in Canada or the UK. Why should I care?

US tariffs still include 50% duties on Canadian goods, and Congress's new majority can hold hearings but can't easily repeal them. In the UK and Europe, farm support is being redrawn too. Wherever you farm, a government cheque can change with the next vote. Your own customers are the steadier base.

Build Income That Doesn't Wait on Washington

Washington will keep changing hands. Your farm needs income that doesn't.

Not sure where your farm stands? Find out.

Take the Free Farm Readiness Quiz

Then grab the free ebook 150 Ways to Unlock Hidden Wealth From Your Farm. Inside you'll find:

150 agritourism income ideas, sorted into categories, to earn more from the land and equipment you already own.
Each idea rated for difficulty, with a possible price setup and earning potential, so you can pick one that fits your farm.
Ways to stop relying solely on unpredictable harvests, and on Washington's next decision.

Get the Free 150 Ways Ebook

P.S. Remember Choy Commons, the New York co-op whose wholesale income went from $150,000 to a projected $20,000 after USDA cancelled the local food programs behind its sales? The co-op is shifting toward its CSA, selling straight to its own members. As Tianna Kennedy of Star Route Farm put it: "We're all scrappy and we will survive." Don't wait for the next vote to build your own list.

Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Election results and projections are as reported on 4-5 November 2026 and may change.