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Good Shepherd Food Bank / Programs / Advocating for Change / Farm Bill

The Farm Bill

Connecting Agriculture, Nutrition, and Hunger-Relief

The Farm Bill shapes America’s food system every five years, influencing everything from nutrition assistance and farming to conservation and rural communities. It is one of the most influential pieces of legislation in our work to end hunger in Maine.

A person stands in a field, seen from behind, wearing a shirt that says Partnering to End Hunger. The sky is cloudy and there are green plants in rows.

What is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is a comprehensive federal law that authorizes funding and policy for agriculture, nutrition, conservation, rural development, and food systems. It’s what’s known as omnibus legislation, a big, multipart bill that bundles together dozens of programs and policies under one roof. 

While many people think of it as farm policy, nutrition programs make up the largest share of Farm Bill funding, including SNAP. Congress has enacted 18 Farm Bills since 1933, typically reauthorizing the legislation every five years.

Pie chart showing farm bill spending: 76.1% nutrition, 8.9% crop insurance, 7.4% commodities, 6.8% conservation, 0.8% other, with food illustrations in the background.
Pie chart showing Farm Act outlays: 76.1% Nutrition, 8.9% Crop insurance, 7.3% Commodities, 6.8% Conservation, small slice for Other.

A Brief History

The Farm Bill’s roots go back to the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, passed in response to the Great Depression and Dust Bowl to reduce crop surpluses and stabilize farm prices. The Agriculture Act of 1938 followed, addressing soil erosion and establishing the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.

In 1977, the Food and Agriculture Act folded the Food Stamp Act into the bill, marking the beginning of the Farm Bill’s role in nutrition assistance. By 2008, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act renamed the Food Stamp Program to what we know today as SNAP.

Today, the Farm Bill touches nearly every part of the food system, from the fields where crops are grown to the tables where families eat.

A tractor drives over freshly plowed rows in a large field under a clear blue sky, with trees in the background.

Where Farm Bill Funding Goes

Nutrition programs make up the largest share of Farm Bill spending by far — about 76% under the most recent enacted bill — with the remainder split across crop insurance, conservation, commodities, and other programs. That means every time Congress debates the Farm Bill, they’re making decisions that directly shape food access for families right here in Maine.

Rows of apple trees in an orchard with red apples scattered on the ground under a blue sky with wispy clouds and airplane contrails.

Key Nutrition Programs in the Farm Bill

The Farm Bill authorizes several programs that help put food on the table for families across the country, including:

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SNAP

(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) — including benefit levels, enrollment policies, outreach, nutrition education, and employment & training support.

A simple drawing combining a pink heart and an orange carrot with green leaves, forming a single shape.

TEFAP

(The Emergency Food Assistance Program) — supplying USDA foods to food banks like ours.

A simple, hand-drawn lightbulb illustration with a beige fill and black outline, featuring a squiggly filament and small lines indicating light.

CSFP

(Commodity Supplemental Food Program) — monthly food packages for seniors.

A stylized peach with a green leaf and a black line through it, resembling a heart rate monitor reading.

FDPIR

(Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations).

Our Advocacy

We believe a strong Farm Bill is one of the most powerful tools we have for ending hunger in Maine. That’s why we advocate for a Farm Bill that protects nutrition programs like SNAP, supports the farmers who grow our food, strengthens access to healthy food for families across the state, and invests in the kind of resilient, local food systems that keep communities fed for the long run.

A smiling man serves himself food at an outdoor picnic table filled with dishes, while others help themselves in the background under a sunny sky.

Get Involved

Stay informed about Farm Bill reauthorization and urge Congress to support strong nutrition and agriculture policies.

See Current Policy
Two students with bags of apples