WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — Nearly 250 family farmers and ranchers traveled to Washington this week to meet with lawmakers as the Farm Bill moves toward the full Senate.
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew joined us Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss the landmark farm safety net legislation, which the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on Sept. 16, and is now moving to debate on the Senate floor.
In his interview with RFD News, Larew said the fly-in members met with congressional offices and federal agencies to push for a Farm Bill that updates the safety net, strengthens competition, restores mandatory country-of-origin labeling, and expands domestic markets.
Larew said that while the Farm Bill includes several positive provisions, including mandatory country-of-origin labeling and year-round E15, it still needs to address the broader economic challenges facing farmers and ranchers.
NFU Notes Progress, but Wants Stronger Safety Net
Larew said the bill includes what he described as “real positive wins,” including mandatory country-of-origin labeling and year-round E15, but those provisions do not fully address the financial pressures facing family farms.
“We still have a farm safety net that is just not going to meet the moment right now,” Larew said.
NFU has previously called for a stronger safety net that accounts for high production costs and persistently low commodity prices. The organization has also called for reforms addressing competition and market concentration.
Farmers Highlight Rising Input Costs
During the fly-in, Larew said farmers told lawmakers about the financial pressures they are facing, including high input costs and diesel prices.
He said lawmakers recognized the challenges producers face, but he also emphasized what NFU sees as another underlying issue: market concentration.
“We often talk about the concentration of meatpackers in the cattle market,” Larew said. “But unfortunately this same kind of market control is in fertilizer, is in seed, is across the board.”
Larew said NFU believes additional relief for farmers also requires attention to competition in agricultural markets.
Year-Round E15 Could Increase Domestic Demand
Year-round E15 also remains a priority for NFU.
Larew said expanding access to E15 could increase domestic demand for commodities such as corn and soybeans while also benefiting consumers.
“First of all, it’s exactly what we want, and that is growing local domestic demand for both corn and soybeans,” Larew said.
He also pointed to farmer ownership of some ethanol and biofuel facilities as a potential way for producers to capture more value from increased demand.
“So many of our ethanol and biofuel plants are farmer-owned, so that allows farmers and producers to get a little bit more of that dollar out there, ultimately helping that bottom line in today’s really bad economy,” Larew said.
The Senate Farm Bill includes language authorizing nationwide, year-round E15 sales, a provision NFU has supported.
Farmers Urge Bipartisanship to Protect the Future of Family Farms
Larew said NFU members left the Washington meetings uncertain about how the legislation will ultimately move forward, noting that they view the Senate committee’s action as positive progress but still call for bipartisan support.
“We’re still looking for bipartisan support,” Larew said. “We can all acknowledge that there are a lot of challenges out there, challenges, and we need Republicans and Democrats in this moment to come together.”
Larew said the consequences of failing to address the economic challenges extend beyond individual farm operations.
“We are at risk of losing a generation of farmers,” Larew said.
He said many producers are already struggling to remain in business and connected that concern to the country’s food security.
“You already have so many folks who are struggling to hold on,” Larew said. “And with that, I think we start to question our food security, and that’s a huge challenge.”
