Federal legislation, executive actions aid farmers, rural America

Support for farmers, ranchers and rural communities is expanding through new legislation, USDA programs and policy changes.

Contrary to stories from print and electronic media sources related to agriculture, the federal government actually has taken significant actions over the last year that benefit farm families and small businesses in Wisconsin and across America. To help sort through some of the legislation and Executive Orders, Wisconsin State Farmer received information from the office of U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, a member of the House Agriculture Committee who represents northeast Wisconsin’s Eighth District. Congressman Wied hailed H.R. 1, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, as a “landmark victory for agriculture and rural America. This new law provides America’s producers with a safety net that allows them to make long-term decisions," he said.The provisions included a $54 billion modernization of Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) to reflect market realities, nearly $6 billion for enhanced crop insurance premium support, and over $2 billion to support American ...