Encouraging agricultural investment, strengthening rural communities and supporting farms and farmers are the priorities of the Indiana Farm Bureau for the 2026 legislative session.
Each year the bureau solicits policy suggestions from its 92 county affiliates and holds a delegate session to identify the key issues the organization will focus on at the Statehouse for the coming year.
“Last year we were laser focused on tax legislation with it being a budget year,” bureau President Randy Kron said in a news 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 bureau has identified three priorities for the 2026 legislative session:
Encourage investment in agriculture. The property tax relief passed in the prior legislative session doesn’t go far enough to strengthen the agricultural economy, the bureau said. The organization aims to advocate for policies that provide further tax relief while improving the ability to pass a farm onto the next generation.
Strengthen rural communities. The bureau will encourage rural investment in education, health care and emergency services such as fire and police so that communities can thrive and support their local workforce.
Support Indiana’s farms and farmers. Among the bureau’s objectives to protect agricultural land and natural resources is to ensure that zoning and land use regulations accommodate modern agriculture. Water policy and energy production also are areas of focus.
The Indiana Farm Bureau, established in 1919, has more than 250,000 members.
The 2026 session of the Indiana General Assembly begins in January.