AFBF is urging Congress to take action to protect family farms

Congress has a big agenda this year between budget talks, the Farm Bill, and various other ag policy concerns. However, the American Farm Bureau says action on tax policy should be a top priority, starting with the estate tax.

“Families are already going through a very difficult time when they lose a loved one and are passing the farm on, and so, this adds an additional burden of trying to come up with up to 40 percent of your farm’s value to pay the IRS. Most of farm assets come from non-liquid assets, mainly land. So, as land becomes more valuable, even when farms are facing losses, they’re now being pushed above that exemption level due to rising land values,” said Samantha Ayoub.

The Farm Bureau says at the end of the day, it all comes down to giving farmers and ranchers certainty, adding without permanent changes, farmers and ranchers are at risk.

Related Stories
Building on the USDA’s recently released Grazing Action Plan, the agreement formalizes collaboration between the USDA, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management to ensure more efficient, transparent, and responsive grazing management across federal lands.
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler breaks down the Grocery Guarantee Program, its goals for expanding farmer access to capital, and its potential impact on food production and prices.
At the White House’s “Celebration of Agriculture,” the Trump Administration announced a slate of policies to support farmers and ranchers, including biofuel mandates, SBA loan programs, and new labeling policies to boost domestic markets for ag products.
This week on Champions of Rural America, Congressman Nick Begich discusses the lease sale, its economic impact, and what it could mean for future energy production in Alaska.
RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses Canada’s new soil health strategy, its implications for producers, and its potential to support sustainable agriculture in Canada compared to USDA funding for conservation.
National Association of Wheat Growers President Jamie Kress discusses how rising fertilizer prices pressure wheat producers and the Administration’s consideration of lowering duties on Moroccan phosphate.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Understanding the Big, Beautiful Bill’s complex impact on SNAP benefits – that’s the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s legal expert, Roger McEowen.
National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust said farmers face a challenging year with strong supply, murky trade conditions, and uncertain access to their largest market: China.
RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James breaks down the state of agribusiness and harvest progress across the U.S. for the week of Monday, September 15, 2025.
Missouri Cattle RanchHER Alda Owen joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to talk about the all-new episode of FarmHER + RanchHER, which premieres on Thursday, Sept. 19!
U.S. trade talks with China resume, but meat industry leaders say dealing with shifting demand and market uncertainty is nothing new in this side of the ag sector.
Tariffs are pushing up input costs, with fertilizer prices rising $100 per ton and machinery costs climbing due to steel and parts duties.