H.R. 8533 — Farmer to Farmer Education Act of 2026

This section expands delivery of technical assistance under the Food Security Act of 1985 by defining a “farmer-to-farmer network” as any affiliation or association of farmers that share information, technical assistance, or mutually beneficial support and by authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to support such networks. The new authority directs cooperative agreements toward four purposes: building network capacity and mentor connections to promote long-term adoption of science-based conservation practices on agricultural, forestry, or related land; increasing accessible technical assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest owners using varied models, practices, and scales; establishing and stewarding networks; and imposing reporting requirements. Eligible entities include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, existing farmer-to-farmer networks, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, units of local government (including conservation districts), institutions of higher education, States, and other entities designated by the Secretary, with priority given to those serving historically underserved or limited-resource producers and operators in high-poverty areas. Providers must carry out at least two of six specified activities (facilitating network access, mentor matching, training network leaders, maintaining lists of supporters, administering subawards, or other actions approved by the Secretary), furnish language assistance to non-English speakers to the greatest extent practicable, and submit annual reports on conservation activities and subawards. Subawards may be made to the same categories of eligible entities plus individuals and must be used to plan events, develop innovative activities, and compensate participants at market rates.