What is the Farm Bill? Complete Guide to Farm Legislation
The Farm Bill is the most important piece of agricultural legislation in the United States. Reauthorized by Congress roughly every five years, it sets policy for everything from commodity price supports and conservation programs to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that feeds 42 million Americans.
The current law — the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act — expired in September 2023 and is operating on extension while Congress debates a replacement. OpenSubsidies tracks 157 FSA programs that distributed $147 billion across 9 years (2017–2025), all authorized under the Farm Bill.
Key Titles of the Farm Bill
Commodities
Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) for major crops. The core subsidy programs.
Explore data →Conservation
CRP, EQIP, CSP, and ACEP — paying farmers to protect soil, water, and habitat.
Explore data →Nutrition (SNAP)
The largest title by spending (~80% of Farm Bill cost). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Horticulture
Specialty crops, organic certification, farmers markets, and local food programs.
Explore data →Crop Insurance
Federal crop insurance subsidies — premiums subsidized at ~60%. A $17B+ annual program.
Explore data →Miscellaneous
Research, rural development, trade, energy, and everything else.
Farm Bill History: 1933 to Today
Agricultural Adjustment Act
FDR's New Deal creates first federal farm subsidies to combat the Great Depression.
Second AAA
Permanent price supports and crop insurance established.
Agricultural Act
Becomes the default law if a new Farm Bill isn't passed — still technically in force.
Target Prices
Shift from supply management to deficiency payments based on target prices.
Freedom to Farm
Decoupled payments from production. Promised to phase out subsidies (it didn't).
Farm Security Act
Reversed 1996 reforms, added counter-cyclical payments.
Food, Conservation & Energy Act
Expanded conservation and nutrition programs.
Agricultural Act
Eliminated direct payments, created ARC and PLC programs.
Agriculture Improvement Act
Current law (on extension). Legalized hemp, expanded CRP, maintained ARC/PLC.
Under Debate
New Farm Bill being negotiated. Key issues: SNAP funding, conservation, climate, payment limits.
How Farm Bill Programs Connect to Our Data
OpenSubsidies tracks $147 billion in USDA Farm Service Agency payments — the direct subsidy programs authorized by the Farm Bill. Here's how our data connects:
- All 157 Programs — Browse every FSA program, from ARC-CO to Wool & Mohair
- Program Categories — See how programs group into conservation, commodity, disaster, and loan categories
- Conservation Programs — CRP, EQIP, and other Title II programs
- Emergency Spending — Disaster and pandemic programs that now dominate spending
- Analysis — Deep dives into who benefits, concentration, and policy implications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Farm Bill?
The Farm Bill is omnibus legislation passed by Congress roughly every 5 years. It sets policy for farm subsidies, nutrition programs (SNAP), conservation, crop insurance, trade, and rural development. The current law is the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, operating on extension.
How much does the Farm Bill cost?
The 2018 Farm Bill authorized about $428 billion over 5 years, though ~80% goes to nutrition programs (SNAP). The farm subsidy portion tracked by OpenSubsidies totals $147 billion over 9 years (2017-2025) from FSA payment data.
Why hasn't a new Farm Bill been passed?
The 2018 Farm Bill expired in September 2023 and has been operating on extension. Disagreements over SNAP funding levels, conservation vs. commodity spending, climate provisions, and payment limits have stalled reauthorization.
Who benefits from the Farm Bill?
While the nutrition title benefits ~42 million SNAP recipients, the farm subsidy titles primarily benefit larger agricultural operations. Our data shows the top 10% of recipients collect ~70% of all payments.
What happens if the Farm Bill expires?
If the Farm Bill expires without extension, policy reverts to the Agricultural Act of 1949 — which would set dairy prices at roughly double current levels and wheat at 1949 parity prices. This "dairy cliff" threat typically motivates Congress to act.
How are farm subsidies different from crop insurance?
Direct farm subsidies (ARC, PLC, CRP) are payments from the USDA. Crop insurance is technically separate — run through private companies with federal premium subsidies of ~60%. Both are authorized in the Farm Bill but funded differently.
The 2025 Farm Bill Debate
As of early 2025, Congress is actively debating a new Farm Bill. Key battleground issues include:
- SNAP funding: Whether to expand or restrict nutrition assistance
- Climate provisions: How aggressively to tie conservation spending to climate goals
- Payment limits: Whether the $125,000/year cap should be tightened or loosened
- Reference prices: Commodity program baseline prices that trigger payments
- Crop insurance reform: Whether to cap premium subsidies for the largest operations
Whatever Congress decides will shape farm subsidies for the next five years — and you can track the results right here on OpenSubsidies as new payment data becomes available.