This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Office of Small Farms within the farm production and conservation mission area.
The office must coordinate, review, and implement various programs and activities related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations. Under the bill, a small farm, ranch, or forest operation (1) is less than 180 acres or meets another USDA-determined, acreage-based definition of small; and (2) has an annual gross cash farm income of less than $350,000.
Activities of the office related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations must include
coordinating USDA efforts to improve support for these operators;
reviewing and recommending changes to USDA statutory, regulatory, and administrative provisions, guidance, and policies that disadvantage these operators;
providing or coordinating technical assistance for these operators for USDA grant, cost-share, and loan programs; and
providing grants of not more than $25,000 to these operators directly or through cooperative agreements with other entities for areas including equipment and infrastructure repairs and upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, and conservation practice adoption.
