Alabama family farmers urgently need our help

As we rapidly approach our nation’s 250th birthday, it’s important to honor and remember the vital role that family farms have had in America’s growth and prosperity. America was founded on agriculture and small family farms have always been central to our heritage and our identity.

That’s particularly true in Alabama with roughly 37,000 total farms, with the vast majority, roughly 91% to 95%, classified as family-owned or small-scale operations. To fully understand their financial contribution, they contribute approximately $77.3 billion to the state’s economy annually. That’s not just peanuts, so to speak!

But right now, our family farms in Alabama are facing unprecedented challenges and many are facing bankruptcy due to the disruption caused by Trump’s tariffs. They are grappling with the exploding costs of fuel, fertilizer, and machinery due to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

This devastating combination of rising costs and lower revenue from exports has caused, and continues to cause, significant economic pressure on Alabama farmers, contributing to a 25% decrease in income since 2022. That’s particularly painful considering that over 75% of small farmers generate $50,000 or less in annual sales.

This chaos and economic uncertainty has now caused many small farmers to consider selling their family farms and getting out of the business altogether. We saw that from 2017 to 2022 when Alabama lost 8% of its family farms. Sadly, for those that make the painful choice to sell the family farm, there’s no guarantee that the land will continue to be used for agriculture and that could have a devastating impact on food production in our state and our overall economic well-being.

As President John F. Kennedy observed, “The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.”

Yet, much of this could be prevented if our small farmers had the resources to access the capital they need to purchase equipment and the financial ability to maintain and modernize their operations, especially during volatile economic conditions.

These are among the many reasons I sponsored the Alabama Agricultural Enhancement Program during the last legislative session. The program would have provided cost-share dollars to help them make upgrades to keep farming sustainable and competitive and keep our economy growing. In addition, it would represent a long-term investment in Alabama farms and agricultural communities and I have every intention of reintroducing similar legislation again  because this crisis isn’t going to go away on its own.

In my district, which includes Clarke, Conecuh, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, and Wilcox Counties, our family farmers are struggling and crying out for real relief. We can’t just hope things get better, we must take action now.

So, as we make our preparations to celebrate the 250th Birthday of America, let us remember our roots and never forget that this nation was founded on the hard work and sweat of small family farms. I shudder to think what our communities, or our grocery stores, would look like without small, family farms. We cannot forget them, and we certainly cannot “outsource” our food supply.

Remember this on the Fourth of July when you break bread with your family and friends and give special thanks to the farmer who made your holiday meal possible.

As it says in the Scripture, 2 Corinthians 9:6, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Therefore, let us help our small farmers do more than simply survive, but let us help them thrive. Their success is ultimately our success.