WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, reintroduced legislation to expand the reach of peer-to-peer networks that are already helping farmers manage the many challenges they face. As farmers and ranchers are met daily with unique challenges, including unexpected weather, droughts and floods, they often turn to colleagues to find the right answer. This bill fills a critical gap in federal programs to support and provide guidance to those networks.

The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would leverage existing technical assistance resources by supporting farmer-led education networks and build capacity for new ones as a key strategy to increase adoption of conservation practices. Specifically, the bill would authorize the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enter into cooperative agreements with community-based organizations in each state that are able to identify and build on established and burgeoning peer-to-peer networks and create new ones.

“Limited access to technical assistance is one of the many conservation challenges farmers and ranchers across the country face every day,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation would allow farmer-to-farmer groups to develop cooperative agreements with USDA to share conservation concepts and new practices.”

“Farming is deeply ingrained in New Mexico’s history and culture, with communities that have cultivated the land for generations. Local farmers are skilled at managing challenges like unpredictable weather, drought, and flooding. However, existing programs often fall short in providing the support and guidance needed during these times,” said Sen. Luján. “The bipartisan Farmer to Farmer Education Act will help improve coordination between local farmer-to-farmer networks and the USDA and NRCS. Strengthening this connection will ensure farmers receive timely, specialized information to better protect their crops and livestock.”

“When it comes to adopting conservation practices, farmers trust information and guidance from other farmers,” said Samantha Levy, AFT’s Senior Policy Manager for Conservation and Energy. “We applaud Senators Lujan and Moran for introducing a bipartisan bill that would enable more farmers to provide practical, experience-based assistance to their peers. This would supplement the essential support producers receive from NRCS, nonprofit conservation organizations and districts, and others to successfully implement practices critical to the resilience and viability of their operations.”

“We learn from best from people who are like us. The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would help connect producers to support each other's on-farm conservation efforts,” said Ben Knuth, Agriculture Policy Manager at National Wildlife Federation. “As complements to USDA's existing conservation technical assistance, these learning networks offer informal opportunities to learn about improving soil, water, and wildlife outcomes.”

“Farmers and ranchers across the country serve as a valuable resource to their peers when it comes to knowledge-sharing about farming best practices and resources. As farmers adapt to a changing climate, it will become even more important that farmers continue learning from their most trusted sources: each other,” said Lotanna Obodozie, Climate Policy Director, National Young Farmers Coalition. “The Farmer-to-Farmer Education Act will invest in collaboration between farmers and their networks for long-term conservation practice adoption, and we’re grateful to Sen. Luján and Sen. Moran for cosponsoring this important bipartisan legislation.”

“For farming and ranching families, helping one another is just part of their way of life,” said Jenny Conner Nelms, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs at The Nature Conservancy. “Supporting local, producer-led networks is a natural, common-sense way to help farmers and ranchers share information with their neighbors and manage challenges together, like droughts and floods. We are grateful for Senators Lujan and Moran’s proposal, which would help producers, communities, and nature thrive.”

Click HERE to read the full text of the legislation.

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