Secretary Naig to introduce Iowa Farm Act in 2026 legislative session

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced plans to introduce the Iowa Farm Act, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive legislative package designed to support Iowa farmers, strengthen rural communities, and position Iowa agriculture for long-term success.

“The Iowa Farm Act is about meeting today’s challenges while preparing for the future,” said Naig in a press release. “It brings together ideas we have heard directly from farmers, agribusinesses, and rural communities across the state. This package expands economic opportunities, supports the next generation, and strengthens our readiness to respond to animal disease threats.

“It also delivers targeted tax relief and removes unnecessary barriers that hold farmers back,” said Naig. “I look forward to working with the Legislature and Gov. Reynolds to get this package enacted to show strong support for agriculture, the cornerstone of our state’s economy.”

The legislation reflects priorities raised directly by farmers, agribusinesses, and stakeholders and is intended to provide practical, workable solutions across Iowa agriculture, the press release says.

“In these uncertain economic times in agriculture, we appreciate Secretary Naig’s leadership as we work to advance policies important to Iowa farmers this upcoming legislative session,” said Brent Johnson, President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and a farmer from Manson.

The Iowa Farm Act is a forward-looking proposal that expands economic opportunities, delivers targeted tax relief, supports beginning farmers, strengthens biosecurity and foreign animal disease response and improves the efficiency of state government, the press release said.

The Iowa Farm Act expands opportunities for farmers to diversify products and income, access new markets, and operate with greater certainty by modernizing Iowa’s farm zoning exemptions to clarify that value-added processing, direct-to-consumer marketing, agritourism activities and events, and other farm-supporting operations are included under Iowa’s farm exemption.

It will also strengthen Iowa’s agritourism framework by updating the definition of an agricultural experience to reduce regulatory barriers and encourage farms to welcome more visitors, customers, and educational opportunities, the press release said.

The bill will support Iowa’s Christmas tree industry by explicitly including tree farms in Iowa’s agritourism liability protections, providing certainty for these family-owned operations and will expand local food markets by making the Choose Iowa School Purchasing Pilot Program permanent, connecting schools with Iowa farmers and food producers and creating reliable new markets for Iowa-grown food.

According to Naig’s office, the bill will protect family farms and succession planning by expanding the retired farmer rental income tax exemption to include modern farm business structures such as partnerships, S corporations, trusts, and estates.

It will reduce costs for grain businesses by eliminating the grain excise tax paid by cooperatives and grain handlers, supporting local elevators and a more uniformed tax system.

The Iowa Farm Act strengthens Iowa’s readiness and protects producers during disease events by safeguarding producer confidentiality during a foreign animal disease or major disease outbreak to encourage early reporting and rapid response without fear of public exposure, the press release says.

The Iowa Farm Act will modernize agricultural equipment transportation standards to improve safety and efficiency for ag equipment dealers and manufacturers, according to the press release.

It will increase trucking gross weight allowances for dairy products, reducing hauling costs and improving market access.

As part of the Department’s broader fiscal year 2027 proposal, Naig is also requesting a 1.6% budget increase of $1.335 million to maintain essential operations in animal health, food safety, consumer protection and water quality initiatives that support Iowa farmers, consumers and rural communities.