The Partners for Rural Transformation support the passing of a new Farm Bill, which has been dragged out more than a year past its original timeline. The current system of smaller extensions (continuing resolutions) for key programs generates significant uncertainty among rural and Native farmers, particularly in regions of persistent poverty that these programs support. Currently, three versions of the Farm bill have been released: a Senate Democratic framework, a Senate Republican framework, and a House Republican framework. Regardless of which version is enacted into law, PRT believes that the Farm Bill should emphasize a commitment to the equitable development of rural regions of persistent poverty and small and Native farmers.
PRT believes in the prompt enactment of this bill. Programs that rely upon mandatory funding, such as social security, Medicare/Medicaid, Veteran programs, and nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC are merely being sustained by short-term extensions keeping the status quo. The systems that support several persistently poor regions are, yet again, being disproportionately negatively affected by the actions (or inactions) of Congress to pass a robust Farm Bill.
Our ideal Farm Bill will capitalize on the potential of Rural America by investing resources that allow communities to thrive. To achieve this, there are a few policies we believe must be included:
- Establishing Baseline Funding for Rural Development The proposed $50 million in baseline funding for Rural Development (RD) within a Farm Bill would be a historic first for rural communities. Rather than having to rely on the political climate of any given Congress, baseline funding would allow communities to receive the investment they need. This baseline funding would need to grow in the future to meaningfully invest in our communities, but PRT is eager to see this start. Two of the three proposals specifically designate new mandatory funding for RD, which would be a gamechanger in serving regions of persistent poverty. PRT supports a Farm Bill that does not overlook rural communities who are the backbone of our national economy.
- Rural Partnerships and Prosperity Act PRT is championing a Farm Bill that includes the Rural Partnerships and Prosperity Act, or RPP. RPP will not only address rural America’s current needs, but it would also allow partners with deep, genuine and trusted relationships with communities to do more. This is a welcome change from short-term, under-funded programs that are mere band aids for our communities who are still hemorrhaging from historic extraction, chronic disinvestment, and racial discrimination.
- Emphasizing Native Inclusion Native communities face several exacerbated disparities across sectors, but especially when accessing basic needs. Department of Energy’s 2023 Report to Congress found that 14.2% of Native American households on Reservation lands lacked access to electricity, compared to all U.S. households, which is only 1.4%. 36.7% of Navajo Reservation and Trust Lands lack access to electricity, including many other reservations (Hopi Reservation and Trust Lands, 28.6%; Standing Rock Reservation, 18.1%; Mescalero Apache Reservation, 15.1%; and Salt River Reservation, 11.9%). These communities frequently cannot access the basic needs that other Americans can, making it difficult for them to capitalize on the assets they do have. Specific provisions and language in this Farm Bill can begin to address this gap. Each version differs in the amount of Native eligibility to federal programs. For example, the House proposal reflects this by allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to enter self-determination contracts with Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations to operationalize SNAP, a critical resource to regions of persistent poverty. PRT supports efforts to provide Native Tribes and Tribal Organizations with the most flexibility and autonomy in how federal programs are operationalized in their communities. This focus on Tribal agency should be the guiding light of efforts to increase Native inclusion.
- Investing in Partnerships PRT supports federal programs that work with communities and advocates for the institutionalization of the Rural Partners Network (RPN) and the Rural Partnership Program (RPP). The Rural Partnership Network (RPN) increases the capacity of rural communities through investing in organizations that already have trusted and established roots within their communities. With similar spirit, the Rural Partnership Program (RPP) would allow deeper and more effective relationships to develop over time. The Senate Republican framework includes a program that invests in local partnerships, allocating funds for partners to assess economic needs of low-income areas and assist communities with application processes for federal funds. These are just two examples of the systems approach PRT hopes to see from federal agencies. It is going to take a whole of government approach at every level to rectify injustices to rural communities, and partnerships will be the engine to this work. PRT hopes to see a prioritization on place-based partnerships in the Farm Bill. While the Rural Partnership Program (RPP) is not specifically mentioned in each proposed outline, a form of rural capacity building investments that coordinate and encourage partnerships should be reflected in the next Farm Bill. PRT knows this is fundamentally at the core of all effective rural community work.
- Office of Small Farms The establishment of the Office of Small Farms would allow smaller rural and Native farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and operators to have more power and influence over the land they live on, and the land that sustains the rest of the country. Rural and Native communities have a deep cultural and generational attachment to land. PRT will support a framework that understands all types of capital, not just monetary, and emphasizes the connection of people, place and equal opportunity.
- Making Dollars Really Work There are many programs that have good intentions to serve rural communities, but the program design, eligibility, or policies ingrained create a disconnect between implementation and reality. For example, USDA’s Decentralized Revolving Loan Program has a cap on lending for individual water wells and septic systems currently set at $15,000. This is not useful for high-cost states with rural and Native pockets within them. To maximize the impact of program dollars across Titles in the Farm Bill, there needs to be an increase to caps like these to make the dollars work for Rural and Native communities. Otherwise, there will be thousands of dollars that are locked up and inaccessible to the communities it is intended to serve.
- Focus on Community-Driven Solutions In the House (Republican) proposal, there are beneficial updates to critical watershed programs, with an emphasis on streamlining data and increasing transparency of that data to the public. In the same proposal, there are several improvements to essential rural services related to clean water and rural community infrastructure. These are examples where the Farm Bill proposals are taking existing dollars that are currently inaccessible and allowing them to work for the communities who need it most. PRT desires that the next version of the Farm Bill does not only support rural regions of persistent poverty in acquiring basic needs, but that it gives communities the tools and flexibility to allow Rural and Native Communities to be the drivers of the work.
The Farm Bill carries a lot of responsibility. The Partners for Rural Transformation want to ensure that the final legislation reflects the prioritization of persistently poor communities and regions who stand to benefit the most. When you invest in rural America, you are investing in food, fuel, textiles, and materials that the rest of the country depends on. Rural America has shown its resilience and strength despite historic and systemic discrimination, chronic divestment and limited access to capital for decades. Partners for Rural Transformation seeks to not imagine, but to experience, a rural America that is allowed to reach its full potential.