By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Texas farmers and ranchers took to Capitol Hill last week to urge lawmakers to pass a long-overdue farm bill and address other agricultural challenges.

The group met with congressional lawmakers following Ag Day events in Washington, D.C. Their message focused on the need for certainty in farm policy.

“We really centered our conversations around education—helping lawmakers understand what farming looks like today,” Ryan Yeatts, a Montague County rancher and chair of Texas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer & Rancher Advisory Committee, said.

Yeatts, who raises sheep and grows pecans, peaches and specialty crops, said many lawmakers—especially those representing urban areas—are increasingly disconnected from agriculture.

“We strategically met with representatives in the DFW area,” he said. “We wanted to talk about rising input costs and decreased profitability at the farm level and how we need this farm bill to pass to help stop the rapid closure of a lot of family farms.”

Farmers have been without an updated farm bill since it expired in 2023, leaving uncertainty for critical programs tied to conservation, research, rural development and risk management.

At the same time, economic pressures continue to mount. Production costs are projected to rise again in 2026, while many commodity prices remain stagnant or have fallen, creating a growing gap between expenses and returns.

“Farmers don’t want to farm for handouts. We want to farm for the market. We want to sell a product to the market that is profitable,” Yeatts said. “But right now, we’re not being paid what our products are worth. Production agriculture’s just not profitable right now.”

In meetings with the congressional offices, the TFB group asked directly for support of the farm bill. Yeatts said the majority of those they met with indicated support or strong consideration.

“They don’t get to talk to farmers and ranchers every day, and they don’t get to really understand what we’re facing,” he said. “That’s why visits to their offices are important.”

Discussions also included trade, labor and crop-specific issues, as well as legislation like the Buying American Cotton Act.

“Agriculture is not a partisan issue. Agriculture is a national security issue, and it shouldn’t be a partisan vote. It should be a national security vote,” he said.

In addition to Yeatts, TFB members who traveled to D.C. were Kirby Nixon, McCrae McCormick, Richard Beyer and Kade Hodges.

Texas farmers press for farm bill on Capitol Hill Texas farmers and ranchers took to Capitol Hill last week to urge lawmakers to pass a long-overdue farm bill and address other agricultural challenges.