The following editorial is by WFBF Director of National Affairs Tyler Wenzlaff
In a move that could reshape the future of farm policy, President Trump signed what is effectively the 2025 Farm Bill in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill saw the Senate take part in the longest voting session in history and Vice President Vance break the tie.
Traditionally, the Farm Bill has relied on a bipartisan coalition of urban Democrats and rural Republicans, a partnership that has endured for decades. Urban lawmakers have championed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while rural legislators have prioritized agricultural support programs, ensuring the bill delivers for both constituencies.
However, that long-standing alliance has shifted. By advancing the current Farm Bill through the budget reconciliation process, Congressional leaders have sidestepped the usual 60-vote threshold in the Senate. This has fundamentally changing how farm policy is negotiated and passed.
Though reconciliation has been used before—most notably for tax and climate policy—this marks the first time it’s been used to push forward a full-scale rewrite of the nation’s agriculture and nutrition programs. While it bypasses the need for 60 votes in the Senate, it also means non-budget items were left out of the bill.
The legislation covers nearly 90% of what farmers would expect in a traditional farm bill, including several major victories for Wisconsin agriculture.
Wins for Dairy
No state relies more heavily on the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program than Wisconsin, where more than 80% of dairy producers participate annually. The bill expands DMC eligibility to 6 million pounds of milk, allows farmers to use their highest production history from 2021 to 2023, and offers a 25% discount for long-term program commitments.
The update mirrors years of advocacy by Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and congressional allies. Allies include representatives like Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Rep. Tony Wied. Wisconsin Farm Bureau appreciates the work of Reps. Van Orden and Wied to make sure the DMC program continues to work for Wisconsin farmers now and into the future.
The bill also establishes a biannual cost survey for cheese processors, a long-overdue step toward improving transparency in dairy pricing. This survey is especially important for dairy farmers, as it will help determine the make allowance. That is the amount deducted from farmers’ milk checks to cover processor costs. Currently, make allowance calculations are based on outdated and incomplete data, leading to growing concerns among farmers. By modernizing this process, the new survey will help ensure fairer, more accurate pricing. It will also strengthen trust between farmers and processors.
Additional Wins for Rural Wisconsin
Livestock farmers also gain substantial support. The new framework increases payment rates to 100% of market value for losses due to predation and 75% for disease or adverse weather events. It adds new assistance for unborn livestock and expands drought relief. These policies bring disaster programs closer in line with on-farm realities.
Commodity farmers will see increases in reference prices, with soybeans rising to $10.00 per bushel and corn to $4.10. Commodity groups and Midwestern lawmakers have long advocated for these price adjustments. They help producers better weather volatile markets and high input costs.
Conservation programs including EQIP, CSP, and ACEP see increased funding in the bill. Meanwhile, trade development efforts are bolstered by a $400 million investment in the Market Access Program (MAP) and $69 million for the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program.
One often-overlooked win is for rural healthcare. The bill doubles federal funding for rural hospitals from $25 million to $50 million annually. In a largely rural state like Wisconsin, medical access can be limited. This funding helps keep critical care within reach.
The bill extends the 45Z tax credit for low-emission fuel production, helping ensure biofuel tax benefits stay with U.S.-based producers. However, the per-gallon credit was trimmed from $1.75 (as proposed in the House) to $1.00 to align with other renewable fuel subsidies.
Missing Pieces
A permanent extension of year-round E15 was not included. Wisconsin and other Midwestern states currently rely on annual waivers to sell the ethanol-blended fuel in the summer. The waivers come from the EPA. A permanent fix would have brought added stability to the biofuels market.
Also missing is a federal response to California’s Proposition 12 (Prop-12). Prop-12 imposes housing mandates on pork producers that many small Wisconsin operations cannot meet. The absence of language to address Prop 12 remains a concern for the livestock industry.
While not perfect, the Big Beautiful Bill delivers strong wins for dairy, grain, livestock, conservation and trade. All of which, are core components of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy. Years of farmer input and advocacy shaped several provisions. The passage of this bill sets a firm foundation for continued farm policy work.
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