Joint Release: Fleeting Relief for Some Farmers, But ‘Bridge’ Payments Lack Long-Term Solutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Zaks
Associate Director of Communications and Development
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
press@sustainableagriculture.net, 347.563.6408
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Contact: Jessica Manly
Communications and Digital Advocacy Director
National Young Farmers Coalition
press@youngfarmers.org, 518-643-3564 x 722
Joint Release: Fleeting Relief for Some Farmers, But ‘Bridge’ Payments Lack Long-Term Solutions
Washington, DC, December 9, 2025 – Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced limited details of the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which will make $ 12 billion available in one-time payments predominantly for row crop farmers. The announcement comes at the conclusion of a tumultuous 2025, during which rising production costs, low crop prices, diminished market access, and unprecedented instability in federal partnership converged to push many farmers to the brink.
…“By nearly any measure, 2025 has presented American farmers with a set of unprecedented challenges. The Farmer