Farm Bill 2024: Reviewing A February Data Blitz and Tough Realities

In the shadow of Super Bowl LVIII, USDA released a virtual blitz of data. These include the 2022 Census of Agriculture and a new data visualization tool for the Inflation Reduction Act investments in conservation assistance to farmers, which followed the recent release of updated farm income statistics. Notably, the Census news included concerns about a decrease in the number of farmers (lowest since 1850) and a loss of farmland in America (USDA-NASS, 2022 Census; Farm Policy News, February 14, 2024; USDA-ERS, February 7, 2024; USDA-NRCS, Inflation Reduction Act Data Visualization Tool; Abbott, February 13, 2024). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) also got in on the data blitz, releasing an update to its ten-year budget baseline projections (Swagel, CBO, February 7, 2024; CBO USDA Mandatory Farm Programs, February 7, 2024). The 2024 farm bill reauthorization debate, however, has yet to get started (Downs and Lee, February 12, 2024; Thompson, February 9, 2024). This article reviews some of the data with a view towards implications for the 2024 farm bill reauthorization debate.