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Thursday, Aug 6
Save US Farms
The Daily Dirt · 2026-07-22-morning

The Daily Dirt — Morning Edition

Senate farm bill advances with young farmer wins, farm debt crisis deepens, EPA approves risky PFAS pesticides, and screwworm prevention hearings begin.

The bottom line
  • Senate farm bill draft includes provisions to support young farmers—doubling the 'beginning farmer' definition to 10 years, raising microloan caps to $100,000, and enabling pre-approval of direct farm ownership loans. Young Farmers Coalition says it's progress but insufficient without stronger land access provisions. [National Young Farmers Coalition](https://youngfarmers.org/2026/06/release-the-senate-farm-bill-draft-is-crucial-opportunity-to-support-young-farmers/).
  • House Natural Resources Committee holds hearing today (July 22, 10 AM ET) on the SAFE CATTLE Act—legislation to coordinate USDA and Department of Interior efforts to prevent and control New World screwworm in wildlife on federal lands. Rep. Ronny Jackson introduced the bill as livestock border-region threat intensifies. [Congress.gov H.R.7466](https://jackson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2480).
  • EPA approves three new PFAS pesticides for use on major food crops: trifludimoxazin, diflufenican, and epyrifenacil can now be sprayed on wheat, citrus, and other commodities. The move expands 'forever chemical' contamination risk in food supply even as regulatory pressure mounts. Earlier this year, the PFAS pesticide fludioxonil was detected in 14% of produce samples and 90% of peaches and plums. [EWG analysis](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2026/07/epa-quietly-unleashes-three-toxic-forever-chemical-pesticides).
  • Farm Chapter 12 bankruptcies continue accelerating—April 2026 saw 62 filings, a 130% jump from April 2025 and the highest monthly total since early 2020. Full-year 2025 total reached 315, up 46% from 2024, with the Midwest and Southeast bearing two-thirds of losses. Record farm debt ($624.7B forecasted for 2026) and compressed margins are pushing family farmers toward restructuring. [Investigate Midwest](https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/25/farm-bankruptcies-jumped-46-in-2025-as-debt-loads-and-costs-rise/).
  • Equitable Food Initiative releases updated Sun & Heat Protection toolkit for farmworkers as U.S. temperatures peak. Farmworkers face heat-illness death rates nearly 20 times higher than all civilian workers, and over 150,000 Florida farmworkers remain at acute risk during peak production. Resources available in English and Spanish. [Equitable Food Initiative](https://equitablefood.org/latest-news/before-the-next-heat-wave-share-resources-to-protect-workers-from-sun-heat-illness/).
  • Attorneys General from multiple states signal renewed scrutiny of farmworker wages and H-2A compliance following a wave of complaints about wage theft and substandard housing. The Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions are chilling farmworker access to federal benefits and legal remedies. [Civil Eats](https://civileats.com/2026/07/07/food-justice-leaders-respond-to-an-opinion-piece-and-set-forth-their-own-agenda/).
  • Local food policy councils continue dismantling across major cities even as federal Regional Food Business Center Program ends. The loss of food governance infrastructure comes as communities struggle to build resilience in regionalized supply chains and food security. [Civil Eats](https://civileats.com/2026/06/22/cities-are-dismantling-their-much-needed-food-policy-councils-just-when-we-need-them-most/).

Catch up: Senate momentum on young farmers, escalating debt crisis, environmental and labor pressures mounting, and legislative action on livestock protection taking shape.

What to watch: The SAFE CATTLE Act hearing outcome and next steps on screwworm coordination; Senate farm bill vote timeline and whether land access provisions get strengthened; EPA’s next moves on PFAS restrictions given continued approvals of new-molecule pesticides; and whether state attorneys general actions on farmworker wage theft gain momentum at the federal level.

—The Save US Farms Desk

Sources