As the 2026 legislative session approaches, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig is introducing a new concept aimed at bringing focus to agricultural policy in the state. The proposal, known as the Iowa Farm Act, is designed to bundle a wide range of agriculture-related priorities into one comprehensive package.
Naig says the idea behind the Iowa Farm Act is similar to a state-level farm bill, pulling together many different sectors of agriculture under one legislative vehicle.
Rather than advancing dozens of individual bills that can struggle to gain attention on their own, Naig says the Iowa Farm Act allows lawmakers and stakeholders to look at agriculture policy more holistically. The package includes provisions affecting livestock producers, row crop farmers, agribusinesses, and specialty sectors like beekeeping and Christmas tree farming.
According to Naig, many of those provisions came directly from conversations with producers during farm visits across Iowa. He says those trips are focused on listening and learning what challenges farmers and rural businesses are facing on the ground.
Naig says those conversations helped identify both large and small policy issues that matter to producers, even if they might seem narrow or technical on their own. By packaging those ideas together, the Iowa Farm Act gives them a better chance to move through the legislative process.
Another key piece of the approach is the broad coalition of support behind the proposal. Naig says bringing multiple commodity groups and industry sectors together around one bill helps elevate agriculture during the session and creates a unified voice at the Capitol.
Naig says the Iowa Farm Act is meant to bring attention to agriculture at a time when farmers are facing economic uncertainty and rapid change. While additional agriculture-related legislation will still move independently, he hopes this approach can become a recurring way to update policy as the industry evolves.
Details on the Iowa Farm Act will continue to be finalized as lawmakers begin work during the 2026 session, with updates available through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
