It’s 5:25 in the morning and pitch-black dark. I woke up at 1:42 this morning, tossed and turned for a bit, thought of all the fun things we’re working on at RANGE magazine, and when I looked at the clock again, it was 3:24 a.m. Surely I had not been awake that long. Giving up and rolling out of bed, a glance at my sleep app had me at three hours thirty-eight minutes of sleep – but that didn’t make sense at all, I’d gone to bed at 9 p.m.

It just hit me, Daylight Saving Time. Love it or hate it, here we are.

The best thing is, this afternoon I’ll have a bunch of time to be outside and enjoy my goats and rabbits. It’s time to harvest fiber from the English Angoras and life is much easier if that can happen on the porch where a gentle breeze can help clear any errant pieces of long, wooly rabbit hair. With the time change, I’ll easily get three of those little darlings plucked and clipped and all cleaned up into their spring “outfits.” There is nothing cuter on the planet than a big ol’ fluffy bunny getting a spring haircut and watching him leap around with joy as he is relieved of the weight and bulk of his winter wool.

It’s been a busy week here – the House Committee on Ag heard the Farm Bill – for two days. I sat down to watch the hearing on Tuesday night and was dismayed to see it was nearly six hours of video. And then I saw parts one and two of day two. To be fair, I did NOT watch it all, but hopefully captured the important parts below. But first, some happy news from the RANGE…

In 1940, Fritzi Buckingham was a member of the Humboldt County 4-H club that founded a herd of purebred Herefords from the nationally known herd of Herbert Chandler in Baker, Oregon. The livestock improvement program was launched by the boys and girls in 4-H, along with the support from the First National Bank of Nevada. Fritzi was well known for showing his baby beef in Sacramento, and traveling by train was quite the adventure from Paradise Valley, Nevada. Just when his herd was peaking, he was called to serve in World War II.

Fritzi’s son, Bob Buckingham, raised the Grand Champion Hereford steer in 1969 and was recognized for his first-place steer carcass, sponsored by Harney Electric Cooperative in the Humboldt County 4-H Livestock Show.

Bob’s daughter, Ashley, showed calves for 13 years at the Tri-County Fair, winning Grand Champion Showman with her Charolais cross raised on the same ranch as generations before. This week, her daughter BobiRose spent time with her Black Angus feeding, grooming, and working with halters in the same Paradise Valley her great-grandfather worked. This will be her first year showing.

Advances to Full House After Marathon Debate

After more than 20 hours of hearings and debate, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee voted 34–17 last week to advance a new farm bill, moving Congress a step closer to replacing the long-expired 2018 law that governs much of the nation’s agricultural policy.

The proposal — titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 — now heads to the full House for consideration. The sweeping legislation would update federal programs covering commodity support, crop insurance, conservation, rural development and nutrition assistance.

Congress traditionally renews the farm bill every five years, but lawmakers have been operating under temporary extensions since the last version expired in 2023. The current extension runs through September 30, 2026.

Agriculture groups have been pressing Congress to finalize a new bill as producers face rising costs and uncertain markets.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said farmers and ranchers are dealing with “headwinds not seen in a generation,” including higher prices for fuel, fertilizer, labor, and equipment.

Supporters say the legislation strengthens risk-management programs, expands access to credit, and updates disaster assistance programs for producers. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, said the bill reflects feedback gathered from farmers and rural communities across the country.

“The policies of 2018 are no match for the challenges of 2026,” Thompson said during the committee markup.

For farmers and ranchers, the most closely watched portions of the bill involve the federal farm safety net. Commodity programs, crop insurance, and disaster assistance provide financial protection when markets collapse or extreme weather damages crops and livestock.

The legislation maintains major federal conservation programs that help producers implement soil health practices, improve grazing systems, upgrade irrigation, and protect wildlife habitat. Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program provide cost-share funding for on-the-ground conservation work on working farms and ranches.

The bill also updates USDA loan programs designed to help farmers finance operating expenses and purchase land, while expanding support for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Livestock producers will also be watching provisions aimed at strengthening animal disease prevention programs and expanding meat processing capacity. Several initiatives in the bill focus on supporting smaller and regional processing facilities — a bottleneck in the livestock industry that became particularly evident during pandemic-era supply chain disruptions.

While the farm bill is often viewed primarily as an agricultural policy measure, it also functions as one of the federal government’s largest investment tools for rural communities.

The legislation includes a wide range of rural development programs aimed at strengthening infrastructure and economic opportunity in small towns across the country.

Provisions in the bill support rural broadband expansion, water and wastewater infrastructure, small business financing, and community facilities such as clinics, libraries, and emergency services. Other programs focus on improving access to telemedicine in rural areas and supporting childcare availability for rural families.

The rural development section also includes grants and loans designed to help rural entrepreneurs start businesses, build value-added agriculture enterprises, and strengthen local food systems.

County governments and rural leaders say those programs are critical for communities that often lack the tax base needed to fund major infrastructure projects on their own.

Despite bipartisan support to advance the bill from committee, several policy disagreements remain.

One of the biggest sticking points involves the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program that represents the largest share of farm bill spending. Earlier proposals to reduce SNAP benefits drew strong opposition from many Democrats.

Another controversial provision would limit the ability of states and local governments to regulate certain pesticide uses, a measure supporters say provides regulatory clarity for farmers but critics argue could shield chemical manufacturers from liability.

Environmental organizations are also closely watching conservation provisions in the bill. The Nature Conservancy said the committee vote represents “an important step toward advancing a five-year Farm Bill that supports farmers, working lands and conservation across the country.”

Even with committee approval, the legislation faces a long road ahead. The full House must approve the measure, and the Senate is expected to develop its own version before the two chambers negotiate a final compromise.

With commodity prices fluctuating, production costs climbing, and weather risks increasing, agriculture groups across the country say certainty from a new farm bill cannot come soon enough.

The latest version of the 2026 Farm Bill runs more than 800 pages, if you’ve nothing better to do today, the full text is here: H.R. 7567, but for most farmers and ranchers, the real impact comes down to a handful of core programs that shape the economics of production agriculture.

Here are five areas producers are watching closely.

1. The Farm Safety Net

Commodity programs remain the backbone of federal farm policy, providing support when market prices fall or disasters strike.

The bill continues existing safety-net programs and includes provisions for disaster assistance, specialty crop emergency programs, and updates to dairy support programs. It also maintains programs that help producers finance on-farm storage and strengthen domestic agricultural supply chains.

For producers facing volatile markets and rising input costs, these programs provide some of the only income stabilization tools available.

2. Conservation Programs on Working Lands

The farm bill also continues several large conservation programs that provide cost-share funding for practices on working farms and ranches.

Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) help producers invest in grazing management, irrigation upgrades, soil health practices, and wildlife habitat improvements.

Many ranchers rely on these programs to help finance range improvements and water infrastructure.

3. Crop Insurance and Risk Management

Federal crop insurance has become one of the most important risk-management tools in agriculture.

The bill updates several areas of the crop insurance system, including coverage for revenue losses, quality loss adjustments, and expanded support for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers. It also directs USDA to continue developing new insurance products and reviewing program effectiveness.

For many producers, crop insurance is now more important financially than traditional subsidy programs.

4. Access to Credit and Farm Loans

Another key component of the farm bill involves USDA loan programs designed to help producers finance land purchases and operating expenses.

The legislation updates programs for farm ownership loans, operating loans, and down-payment assistance for beginning farmers. It also includes provisions aimed at helping families address “heirs property” issues that can complicate farmland ownership across generations.

These programs can be critical for young producers trying to enter agriculture.

5. Livestock Health and Meat Processing

For livestock producers, the bill includes several provisions focused on animal health and processing capacity.

Programs address disease prevention and response, interstate movement of livestock products, and federal support during foreign animal disease outbreaks. The legislation also includes initiatives aimed at expanding small and regional meat processing capacity and supporting smaller slaughter facilities.

After the supply chain disruptions of recent years, many producers see processing capacity as a major bottleneck in the livestock industry.

Out here, a good shirt has to earn its keep.

Our RANGE magazine baseball t-shirt is the kind you reach for when the morning’s cool, the coffee’s strong, and there’s work to be done. Classic three-quarter sleeves, comfortable fit, and just enough Western attitude to make it feel like it belongs in the truck seat, the branding pen, or the stands at a Saturday rodeo.

It’s one of those shirts that somehow works everywhere — chores, town, ballgames, or a long road trip across the country. Wear it under your jean jacket or a black blazer for the latest in contemporary style.

If you’re the kind of person who believes the West is still the best place to live, this one’s probably going to end up your new favorite.

See all the RANGE merch here → Great Basin Trading Co.

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We’ll see you next week — Load up!

Rachel Dahl
Publisher

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