S. 1769: Farmer to Farmer Education Act of 2025
This bill, known as the Farmer to Farmer Education Act of 2025, aims to enhance the provision of technical assistance to farmers by creating a system where farmers can learn from one another, particularly focusing on conservation practices. Here’s a summary of its main components:
Expansion of Technical Assistance
The bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to provide expanded provisions for farmer-led technical assistance. It establishes a framework for farmer-to-farmer networks, where farmers can share knowledge and support each other.
Definitions and Purpose
The act defines a "farmer-to-farmer network" as any group of farmers who share information, provide technical assistance, or offer other mutually beneficial support. The purposes outlined include:
- Building the capacity of these networks.
- Connecting farmers with mentors and learning opportunities.
- Fostering the adoption of science-based and conservation-oriented agricultural practices.
- Providing tailored technical assistance to meet farmers' specific needs.
Cooperative Agreements
The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to implement the bill’s objectives. Eligible entities include:
- Nonprofit organizations.
- Farmer-to-farmer networks.
- Tribal organizations.
- Local government units.
- Institutions of higher education.
- States.
Prioritization of Historically Underserved Groups
When selecting entities for cooperative agreements, priority will be given to those that specifically assist historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest owners, as well as those in high-poverty areas.
Responsibilities of Assistance Providers
- Increasing access to farmer-to-farmer networks.
- Facilitating mentorship pairings.
- Coordinating training for network leaders.
- Providing assistance in the native languages of non-English speaking participants.
Subawards
The bill allows for the issuance of subawards to eligible entities to support activities that build the capacity of farmer-to-farmer networks, such as conducting relevant events and compensating participants. Eligible subawardees mirror those of cooperative agreements and may include individuals as well.
Reporting Requirements
Entities receiving funds must report back to the Secretary of Agriculture on their activities, including details about conservation practices and the impact of their efforts within four years of the bill’s enactment. The Secretary is also required to compile a report that details funding awarded and the outcomes of these activities.
Funding Provisions
The Secretary will utilize necessary funds from annual conservation operations appropriations to implement the provisions of this bill.
Relevant Companies
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This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
2 bill sponsors
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| May. 14, 2025 | Introduced in Senate |
| May. 14, 2025 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. |
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