FARMER INDEPENDENCE
AND OWNERSHIP PLAN
Farmers should have meaningful control over the land they work, the equipment they purchase, and the seeds and information they use to produce our food. This plan protects the right to repair, strengthens seed and data rights, preserves access to working farmland, and expands affordable options for essential supplies.
Together, these measures reduce dependence on restrictive corporate agreements and give independent producers greater freedom to manage their operations, control costs, and invest in their future.
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Restores farmers’ rights to save and use seeds while defending against predatory practices by balancing patent protections with agricultural independence.
Farmers operating under a set acreage or income level may use saved seed for personal production without additional licensing fees.
Prohibits companies from suing farmers when patented genetic material spreads through wind-pollination or environmental drift.
Creates Seed Access Fund to help small growers purchase diverse, regionally adapted seeds by supports public plant-breeding programs
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Protects productive farmland while expanding opportunities for independent farmers to own the land they cultivate and preserve it for future generations.
Expands voluntary conservation easements that compensate landowners for keeping productive farmland in agricultural use.
Provides down-payment assistance and affordable USDA financing for beginning farmers and tenants purchasing the land they operate.
Requires corporations, investment funds, and other entities purchasing agricultural land to disclose their controlling owners and affiliated farmland holdings.
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Guarantees farmers the right to repair their own equipment by ensuring affordable access to parts, diagnostic tools, and independent repair services.
Requires agricultural equipment manufacturers to provide owners and independent mechanics with parts, manuals, diagnostic software, and repair authorization tools at reasonable prices.
Prohibits software restrictions that unnecessarily block lawful repairs and blanket warranty cancellations solely because a farmer chooses an independent mechanic.
Authorizes the FTC and state attorneys general to investigate violations, require manufacturers to provide repair access, and impose penalties for obstruction or retaliation.
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Establishes farmers’ ownership and control of their operational data while preventing unauthorized commercial use and protecting their ability to change service providers.
Recognizes farmers’ ownership of nonpublic production data collected through their equipment, sensors, and agricultural software, including yield maps and planting records.
Requires clear, separate consent before companies sell farm data or use it for purposes beyond providing the service the farmer purchased.
Requires accessible data exports and allows farmers to change providers or withdraw permission for future commercial use without punitive fees or losing basic equipment functions.
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Expands affordable fertilizer choices by supporting independent domestic production, farmer cooperatives, and agricultural nutrient recovery while helping producers control essential operating costs.
Provides grants and affordable financing for farmer-owned fertilizer cooperatives and independent regional manufacturers, prioritizing projects serving small and midsize farms.
Supports equipment and facilities that recover usable nutrients from manure and agricultural byproducts, with testing and application planning to protect soil and water.
Helps farmers establish shared purchasing programs, storage facilities, and distribution networks to negotiate better prices and maintain reliable supplies.