Senate staff: farm bill extended to 2026; $12B bridge funds favor commodities over specialty Vermont crops

Miles McDermott, outreach representative for Sen. Peter Welch, told the committee the 2018 farm bill has been extended and the current extension runs through Sept. 30, 2026. "That extension would end 09/30/2026," McDermott said, noting the Senate has seen limited committee work on the next farm bill so far.

McDermott described a separate $12,000,000,000 bridge fund announced at the federal level to address agriculture market disruptions. He said roughly $11,000,000,000 of the pot targets commodity crops such as soybeans and corn, which primarily benefit Midwest and Southern producers; about $1,000,000,000 remains an undefined pot that USDA has not yet specified. "Most of that is focused on commodity crops," McDermott said, adding that the delegation could take feedback about Vermont eligibility but that impacts are likely limited for dairy and many specialty crops.

Committee members asked whether dairy, apples or maple syrup producers would receive direct support. McDermott and others said dairy is not covered in the commodity allocation, and that USDA has yet to define the $1 billion discretionary portion. Staff recommended sending product‑specific feedback to Senate offices to influence implementation choices if USDA publishes flexible criteria for the smaller pot.

McDermott also flagged that some smaller legislative efforts — for example, the bipartisan Local Foods Act, which would allow limited on‑farm slaughter in specified cases — are sitting at committee level and might be folded into a larger farm‑bill package rather than advance as standalone bills.