This bill creates a new Office of Small Farms within the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help small farmers, ranchers, and forest operators access government support programs. Right now, small operations often struggle to navigate the complex maze of USDA programs and services designed to help them. This office will act as a dedicated advocate and coordinator for these smaller operations.

The bill defines a small farm as one with less than 180 acres (or another size determined by the Secretary based on region and type of farming) and annual income under $350,000. The new office will be run by a Director who will review existing USDA programs to identify barriers that prevent small operators from participating, recommend improvements, and develop new support initiatives. The office will also operate a hotline where small farmers can anonymously report problems accessing programs, provide grants up to $25,000 for equipment repairs, business planning, conservation efforts, and land purchases, and coordinate technical assistance across all USDA agencies.

To make this work at the state level, each state will have a designated Small Farms Coordinator who will work with local USDA offices to help small operations access programs and develop state-specific plans to improve service delivery. The bill also requires major USDA agencies to appoint liaisons to work with the new office on outreach and education efforts. The Secretary must report annually to Congress on progress in helping small farms participate in agricultural programs.