Legislation from U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) that would strengthen connections between local farmers and community food programs advanced as part of the House Agriculture Committee’s passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on March 4.
“Congress has a responsibility to ensure farm policy works for those who grow, raise, and produce our nation’s food,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “I’m especially proud the Farm Bill includes my bipartisan bill, which will help those in need in our communities access healthy, fresh food produced by their neighbors.”
Rep. Bresnahan’s Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act, H.R. 4782, was included in the broader farm bill package, H.R. 7567. It would allow states, through the USDA, to establish cooperative agreements connecting local producers with food distribution organizations. Funds generated through those agreements would be used to purchase local, fresh, and minimally processed foods including seafood, meat, milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, and poultry. A portion of the funds would be set aside specifically to purchase food from small, mid-size, beginning, and veteran farmers.
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman applauded the House Agriculture Committee’s work.
“We are especially grateful for the leadership of Chairman G.T. Thompson and the steadfast support of Representative Rob Bresnahan in championing Pennsylvania’s interests throughout this process. For our Commonwealth’s farm families and the consumers they serve, this bill acts as a vital safeguard against the triple threat of soaring production costs, market volatility, and rising food prices,” Hoffman said.
Beyond Rep. Bresnahan’s provision, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 addresses a range of agricultural priorities, including strengthening rural broadband, expanding resources for beginning and veteran farmers, improving nutrition programs, investing in rural water infrastructure, and enhancing protections for animals under the Animal Welfare Act.