Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) joined other congressmen and congresswomen to reintroduce the Save Our Small (SOS) Farms Act of 2025, which aims to improve the farm safety net and expand federal crop insurance.
Congressman John Larson (CT-01), Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) were part of the move while Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) have introduced provisions of this legislation in the Senate.
Better access crop insurance policies are often limited to large commercial farms to protect their business. Small farms’ losses increase every time weather and other disasters occur since small farms are impacted disproportionately.
“In the Fifth District, small farms help feed our communities and drive our economy. Although these farmers need assistance, our crop insurance and disaster programs too often leave them behind. And as we continue to see extreme weather patterns becoming more frequent, we must find new solutions to ensure small farm operators are protected before disasters strike,” Hayes said. “The SOS Farms Act would expand coverage and assistance, lower costs for small farmers, and direct the USDA to develop more responsive coverage options. Small farms are an essential part of our culture, environment, and economy.”
A recent survey from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture found that farmers in the state lost over $50 million due to bad weather in 2023 and 2024. The SOS Farms Act aims to give farmers better support by allowing more farms to buy crop insurance, reducing costs for small farms, and requiring the USDA to offer better coverage options during extreme weather.
The 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture shows that only 5% of Connecticut farms have crop insurance, much lower than the national average of 19%.
“After the Connecticut River Valley was devastated by severe flooding during the summer of 2023, many small farms throughout the region lost hundreds of acres of crops,” Larson said. “The Save Our Small Farms Act will better tailor our nation’s crop insurance programs to the unique needs of small to midsized farmers. Our bill will make crop insurance more affordable and accessible and reduce the paperwork burdens our farmers face to access support when disaster strikes. The entire Connecticut delegation will continue to stand with our farmers so they get the support they deserve and are not left on their own to pick up the pieces after a natural disaster.”
10 key provisions of the SOS Farms Act:
The act seeks to streamline the application process for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
Helps farmers who struggle to find affordable insurance or face excessive paperwork and fees.
Expands USDA’s authority to create pilot programs and improve data collection for better crop insurance policies.
Directs the Farm Service Agency to create a path from NAP to the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program (WFRP), which offers broader coverage for small and mid-sized farms.
It will reduce paperwork for farmers applying for insurance.
The bill will allow coverage for farms using crop rotation.
The act seeks to improve insurance options for specialty and diversified farms.
Directs USDA to create an index-based insurance policy that responds to extreme weather.
Uses weather events as a trigger for payouts, reducing paperwork and delays.
The bill will base insurance on a farm’s income rather than crop prices to better reflect actual losses.
Source - https://www.newbritainherald.com
