Full Breakdown
Small Farmers Mobilize Against 2026 Farm Bill
5/21/2026, 2:29:57 AM
Small Farmers Mobilize Against 2026 Farm Bill
Over 150 pasture-based producers have formed the FACE Ag Network (Farmers for Animals, Communities and the Environment) to oppose the 2026 Farm Bill. The coalition says the bill’s “Save Our Bacon Act” would overturn California’s Proposition 12 animal-welfare standards and endanger small farms such as Cedar Valley Sustainable Farms, a 90-acre family operation in Illinois.
Context and Numbers
The Farm Bill, renewed roughly every five years, governs U.S. agriculture, nutrition policy and SNAP funding. USDA data show a loss of more than 158,000 farms since the 2018 bill—the steepest decline in a century—while farms earning over $1 million have grown, reflecting increasing consolidation.
Key Actors
Jody Osmund of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farms leads FACE Ag Network’s outreach. Former Senate Agriculture Committee chief counsel Johnathan Coppess, now a professor at Illinois, provides policy analysis. The Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association, and Illinois Soybean Growers support the bill, while animal-rights groups such as the ASPCA oppose it.
Stakeholder Reactions
Official Statements
FACE Ag Network’s open letter to Congress calls for funding local food systems, conservation aid for small farms, and rejection of the “Save Our Bacon Act.” The Illinois Farm Bureau calls the bill a “strengthening of the farm safety net.” Coppess warns the proposal removes “hundreds of billions of dollars” from SNAP while doubling payments to large, consolidated farms.
Criticism & Opposition
Osmund says the bill would “negate all the investments” humane farms have made and would erode consumer access to ethically raised meat. Animal-rights groups argue the act would nullify hundreds of state animal-welfare statutes. Coppess notes industry consolidation limits market access for young and small producers, citing control of seeds, fertilizer and equipment by a few corporations.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The House Committee on Agriculture cites support from more than 500 stakeholders, including major agribusiness groups, while FACE Ag Network and animal-rights advocates present a starkly opposite view. The bill’s exact impact on SNAP allocations and state animal-welfare enforcement remains undefined.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's a direct blow against independent, humane farmers like myself,” — Jody Osmund, Cedar Valley Sustainable Farms
- “Over the decades now, we have really consolidated and concentrated livestock production. Within barns, the pigs are pinned up in what they call gestation crates,” — Johnathan Coppess, former Senate Agriculture Committee chief counsel
- “They took hundreds of billions of dollars out of the SNAP program [and] doubled payments to farmers from large, concentrated farm operations," Coppess said.” — Johnathan Coppess
- “If you're a young farmer or a smaller farmer, it's like everything's stacked against you. The policies as well as this concentration across the industry,” — Johnathan Coppess
Upcoming Legislative Action
The Senate will consider the 2026 Farm Bill in June. FACE Ag Network members plan meetings with lawmakers to voice concerns, while supporters anticipate further debate over SNAP funding and the “Save Our Bacon Act.”
