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OEFFA says Farmer Bridge Assistance Program fails to benefit organic and specialty crop growers

One ag group says the Trump administration’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program fails to benefit organic and specialty crop growers. 

Nicole Wolcott, policy coordinator for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, says $1 billion isn’t enough to support diversified farming operations.

“The support that smaller farms need is not going to look the same as support for larger farms,” she says. “It’s definitely not a one size fits all approach for any form of a farm safety net.”

She tells Brownfield rising input costs add another layer of uncertainty for growers heading into 2026.

“These are the farmers that are providing a lot of the food that we eat on our tables on a regular basis,” she says. “The products that they might be using, there’s definitely going to be a price increase. Anything that’s affecting the market is going to drive everything else up across the board.”

Wolcott says the organization is focused on developing policy solutions that help level the playing field for all ag producers. 

AUDIO: Nicole Wolcott, OEFFA