119-S-2618 Family Farmer Impact Perspective

Summary of my opinion of S. 2618 (MORE USDA Grants Act)

As multigenerational producers, we’re pragmatic: stable markets and resilient rural infrastructure keep family farms alive. S. 2618 directly lowers a key barrier—local cost share—and expands technical assistance for USDA Rural Development (RD) programs in “High‑Density Public Land Counties” (≤100,000 population; >50% federally owned land). Net effect: easier access to capital for essential projects that support our operation and town. Favorable, with guardrails to avoid unintended crowd‑out of other rural communities. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…

What the bill does that matters to us

• Cuts by 50% any local matching requirement for USDA qualifying grant programs in small counties where >50% of land is federally owned; applies to county governments, other local governments, and Tribal governments in those counties. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Provides added USDA technical assistance on request during pre‑application and application periods—useful for small staffs that lack grantwriting capacity. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Directs priority to applicants in eligible counties that have not received support from the program in the past 10 years; allows prioritizing Tribal governments for technical help and other support. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Authorizes flexibility where small, isolated places are penalized by scoring rules (e.g., job‑count thresholds, partnership requirements, or cash‑on‑hand tests). [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Covers a wide set of USDA RD programs, including Community Facilities, Rural Business Development, Distance Learning & Telemedicine (DLT), Community Connect, and ReConnect broadband. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…

Specific impacts on our business, income/assets, and community

Net assessment: grants flow to counties/Tribes—not directly to our farm—but the investments (broadband, clinics, roads, water systems, small‑business support) are backbone services that lower our costs and volatility. Stability of income > ideology.

• Economic (our business and local markets) – Mostly positive:
• - Cheaper match means more feasible county/Tribal applications for telecom and facilities grants. Example: DLT grants require a local match (15%); ReConnect 100% grants often require 25% match. Halving local match in our county makes these builds likelier and faster, supporting e‑commerce, precision ag, and tele-vet care. [3]USDA Rural Development — USDA Rural Development Distance Learning & Telemedicin…[4]USDA — USDA ReConnect Program — grant types and 25% match requirement for 100%…
• - Community Connect also requires matching contributions by rule; lowering our local share improves odds in unserved pockets where we farm. [5]Federal Register / USDA Rural Utilities Service — Community Connect Grants FY20…
• - Community Facilities and related RD tools can finance clinics, emergency response, and other essentials. Better services reduce downtime and risk for farm labor and logistics. [6]Web search · turn 3 #6[7]Web search · turn 3 #8
• - Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG) can strengthen local processors and co‑ops; easier county participation helps downstream markets we sell into. (Program coverage is explicit in the bill.) [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• - Counties where >50% of land is federal typically have thinner tax bases; PILT helps, but raising cash match is still hard. This bill squarely addresses that structural gap. [2]U.S. Department of the Interior — Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) — purpose an…

• Social (communities and vulnerable neighbors) – Positive:
• - Priority for first‑time recipients and allowance to prioritize Tribal governments should spread benefits to places historically left out of competitive scoring. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• - Telemedicine/Distance Learning and broadband builds improve access to healthcare, education, and emergency services in remote areas where our workers and families live. [3]USDA Rural Development — USDA Rural Development Distance Learning & Telemedicin…[8]Web search · turn 10 #9

• Environmental and sustainability – Mixed to positive:
• - Broadband and modern facilities can support water‑ and energy‑efficient operations (remote monitoring, pump controls) and emergency response; benefits are indirect but meaningful long‑term. (Programs covered include energy and rural development grants to local entities.) [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…

• Taxes, subsidies, crop insurance, water rights – Neutral:
• - The bill doesn’t alter commodity programs, crop insurance, conservation payments, trade policy, water rights, or estate/inheritance taxes; our risk management toolbox is unchanged. Its value is the infrastructure that underpins market access and resilience.

Long‑term vs. short‑term effects

• Short‑term: Lower match + more TA increases the number and quality of eligible applications from our county/Tribe; expect more shovel‑ready broadband, facility, and small‑business projects to move. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Long‑term: Better connectivity and essential services raise the ceiling for small processors, agritourism, and value‑added ventures—helping family farms compete with vertically integrated agribusiness. Broadband programs (DLT, Community Connect, ReConnect) are key enablers here. [3]USDA Rural Development — USDA Rural Development Distance Learning & Telemedicin…[5]Federal Register / USDA Rural Utilities Service — Community Connect Grants FY20…[4]USDA — USDA ReConnect Program — grant types and 25% match requirement for 100%…

Unintended consequences and guardrails we want

• Geographic crowd‑out: Prioritizing high‑federal‑land counties could shift finite RD dollars away from other rural areas. USDA should publish clear set‑asides and transparent scoring to balance equity and need.
• Local capacity gaps: Even with TA, some counties will still struggle to manage complex builds; multi‑year delivery plans and interlocal co‑ops can mitigate.
• Metrics trade‑offs: Flexibility around job‑count/people‑served criteria is warranted, but oversight should ensure durable outcomes (uptime, affordability, and service quality) rather than just ribbon‑cuttings. [1]Congress.gov / Library of Congress — Text of S.2618 (Introduced) — MORE USDA Gr…
• Match interactions: Where program rules require specific match levels (e.g., DLT at 15%, ReConnect often at 25%), USDA guidance must spell out how the 50% reduction is applied to local shares while preserving federal requirements and auditability. [3]USDA Rural Development — USDA Rural Development Distance Learning & Telemedicin…[4]USDA — USDA ReConnect Program — grant types and 25% match requirement for 100%…

Overall stance