The farm bill is a massive piece of legislation that encompasses policies covering agriculture, conservation, trade, rural development, nutrition, and more. The current legislative package differs from the first farm bill, the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, which was passed almost 100 years ago. At that time, farmers were dealing with repercussions from World War I and the Great Depression’s impact on crop prices. As such, the inaugural farm bill included farmer support and commodity price controls that we continue to see in the legislation. 

Fast forward to the 1960s, when President Lyndon B. Johnson spearheaded ambitious policy initiatives, programs, and legislation laid out for his “Great Society” agenda. Issues like inequality, poverty, and hunger took center stage for the Johnson administration. Medicaid and Medicare became law, the Job Corps program was created, and the Food Stamp Act was established—which would create the cornerstone link between agriculture and nutrition programs in the farm bill.