INDIANAPOLIS — As farmers face mounting economic headwinds and thin profit margins, Indiana Farm Bureau has officially laid out its legislative roadmap for the 2027 General Assembly session, zeroing in on rural investment, tax relief and food system resilience.
The organization’s policy goals are shaped by grassroots input from all 92 county Farm Bureaus and finalized during a delegate session.
INFB leaders plan to bring these priorities directly to lawmakers at the Statehouse during the annual Organization Day Breakfast on Nov. 17, ahead of the legislative session’s start in January.
Priority: Prioritize Agriculture And Rural Investment
INFB supports strengthening investments in the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to ensure critical programs and remain viable.
Adequate funding is needed to retain and recruit staff, including meat inspectors and veterinarians, while supporting initiatives such as Indiana Grown that expand market opportunities for Indiana farmers.
The Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is also a funding priority.
INFB will also support policies that invest in rural communities and help create opportunities for passing the farm onto the next generation. Those requests will include more funding for rural healthcare access, transportation infrastructure and childcare expansion.
“After several years of economic hardship in the ag economy, most seasoned farmers have reserves that can help them weather those storms,” said Randy Kron, INFB president.
“I worry about the younger generation of farmers who haven’t had time to establish themselves yet. That’s why we’re pushing to fund programs that assist new farmers and strengthen pathways for passing the farm to future generations.”
Priority: Continue Indiana’s Property Tax And Assessment Reform
INFB will ask the legislature to reduce the assessed value for agricultural-use buildings by moving them from the 3% to the 2% tax cap, which would also provide those properties with a one-third deduction.
They will also work to push legislation that would exempt the first $2 million in business personal property tax for all filers instead of the current exemption which only provides relief to those under the $2 million purchase cost.
Priority will be given to policies that strengthen oversight of the property tax assessment process overall to ensure accurate, consistent and transparent assessment practices statewide.
“The tax relief that came out of Senate Enrolled Act 1 from the 2025 legislative session was a great start to alleviate some of the economic pressures landowners were facing, but we need to finish the job,” said Katie Nelson, INFB’s executive director of public policy.
“With continued hits coming from high input costs, land prices and property taxes, farmers will be lucky to break even this year. We need lasting property tax reform now.”
Priority: Support Indiana’s Food System
INFB supports state and federal incentive programs that make locally grown, nutrient-dense foods more accessible in schools and rural communities and ensure access to those foods by advocating for science-based policies, avoiding a state-by-state patchwork of regulations.
INFB will also prioritize expanded market opportunities for farmers and reduced regulatory barriers that limit food production and sales.
“With this coming year being a longer budget session, it’s important that we prioritize the areas that really impact our members since we know they won’t be easy asks,” Kron said.
“This year, we need the General Assembly to consider legislation that will protect and enhance the future for farms and rural communities to ultimately ensure safe, affordable food not just for Hoosiers but for people all over the world.”
Dining and Cooking