Congressman Baird: ‘There’s a Real Opportunity’ to Pass a New Farm Bill in 2025

You’ve been hearing about the Farm Bill—or lack thereof—for several years now.

Over the weekend, Hoosier Ag Today’s C.J. Miller spoke with Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-4th District) during the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry in Lafayette. Baird, who sits on the House Ag Committee, believes that a new Farm Bill will get across the finish line in 2025.

“I think there’s a real opportunity for [passing a new Farm Bill] because we understand, as we’ve been across the states and across the country, how important this ag bill is,” says Baird. “Then, with the consequences of inflation and the low prices for commodities for farmers, we really need that safety net and we understand that.”

Congressman Baird says he’s more encouraged to see a new Farm Bill reach President Trump’s desk in 2025 now that Republicans have control of the U.S. Senate. Last year when Democrats had control, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)—who had been Senate Ag Chair and has since retired from the Senate—waited until the lame-duck session late last year to put out their version of the Farm Bill, which by then, was much too late for anything to get accomplished.

“We already put it off two-or-three years. The Farm Bill comes up every five years. How we can wait until the end of the very end of [last year’s session] to put something on? It really is discouraging, from my perspective, because by doing that, we end up trying to cram stuff in it. We really ought to have the time to analyze it and do what’s right for the country and what’s right for our people,” says Baird.

He shared that one of his top priorities for a new Farm Bill is making sure that federal funds are available for ag research for our land-grant universities.

“I’m a strong advocate for research. I’ve done a lot of research myself,” says Baird, who has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Animal Science from Purdue University. “At a lot of our land grant universities—and Purdue is one of them—a lot of their facilities were built back in the ’50s and ‘60s and they’re really kind of ending their useful life, in a way, for being used for advanced research and technology. We want to make sure we have the tools in the research laboratories that entice young researchers to perform quality projects.”

Congressman Baird also says he’s in favor of putting Farm Bill research funding toward finding solutions for stopping Bird Flu, following the rapid spread of the virus which has impacted at least six commercial poultry production facilities across Indiana since Jan. 3 of this year—including 2.8 million birds at the Rose Acre Farms egg production facility near Seymour.

“How devastating to farms like Rose Acre Farms. When that Bird Flu ends up in their facility, [they’re going through] the loss of animals, the loss of production, and the loss of money. Agriculture operates on a very narrow margin, and it doesn’t take much to go negative—in some cases, many farms are already negative. But that is concerning, and so we do need to have the research and the facilities to make sure we can contain that.”

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CLICK BELOW to hear Hoosier Ag Today’s full conversation with Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-4th District) as he chats more about a new Farm Bill, as well as other legislation impacting Indiana’s farmers.