INDIANAPOLIS – Securing a brighter future for Hoosier farms and rural communities is the focus of Indiana Farm Bureau’s (INFB) priorities for the 2026 session of the state’s General Assembly, according to the organization.

“Last year we were focused on tax legislation with it being a budget year,” Randy Kron, INFB president, said in a release. “This year, we need the General Assembly to consider legislation that will protect farms and rural communities to ultimately ensure safe, affordable food not just for Hoosiers but for people all over the world.”

The USDA has predicted farm debt will total almost $592 billion this year, up 20 percent from 2022. Kron said INFB is committed to advocating for policies at the local, state and national levels to ensure farmers can keep farming.

INFB’s legislative priorities include encouraging investment in agriculture and supporting the state’s farms and farmers. Another priority is strengthening rural communities.

Under the category of encouraging investment, Katie Nelson, INFB executive director of public policy, told Farm World the organization would love to see legislation that could help improve the economic outlook for farms like tax reform and creating incentives for agricultural diversification.

“Corn and soybean farmers are looking at a third straight year of loss, and many are just hoping to break even this year,” she said. “With year after year of no profit, passing the farm on to the next generation is becoming more difficult. We’d like to see legislation that increases opportunities for young and beginning farmers.”

As for supporting Hoosier farms and farmers, Nelson said INFB wants to “encourage any land use or zoning legislation to accommodate modern agriculture, directing renewable projects to be built on marginal farmland rather than taking up prime farmland and start prioritizing nuclear energy over other renewable projects.

“Economic development projects can have clear value-add to rural communities, but we must ensure local governments maintain their voice on what projects come to their communities.”

INFB members are interested in implementing penalties for unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, over agricultural land and facilities, Nelson explained. She said there is currently little to no protection if a drone flies over a farmer’s property without consent. The organization will be looking at ways to implement civil and criminal penalties for these situations, Nelson added.

Strong rural communities are important for farm bureau members, the organization said.

“Farms and agribusinesses contribute heavily to Indiana’s economy, and those contributions are only made possible by thriving rural communities with infrastructure that can support the local workforce, and allow families to thrive.” INFB said.

The farm bureau said it will encourage investment in those communities with robust education, healthcare and emergency services.

“State leadership has made it a priority to encourage better access to local food and empower producers to meet those needs,” Nelson noted. “We foresee the need for legislation that removes barriers for local food production while balancing the importance of food safety.”

Nelson said she hopes INFB can see legislative success on some of its priorities.

“With it being a non-budget year, obviously the items that don’t involve a fiscal commitment are more likely to get accomplished this year,” she said. “There seems to be momentum around local food and also increased protection around drones, so we are hopeful to get a win in those areas.”

The priorities began at the county level, with each county farm bureau having the opportunity to make policy suggestions, INFB said. The recommendations were eventually heard during the delegate session in August. The INFB board of directors later identified the key issues.

During the annual Organization Day Breakfast on Nov. 18, INFB said its leaders and staff will meet with legislators to talk about the organization’s policy priorities for the legislative session.