When was the first Farm Bill?

Our country shapes food, farming, and natural resource policies through the Farm Bill. This comprehensive piece of legislation covers producer risk, rural development, research, specialty crops, conservation, forestry, nutrition, agriculture education, and more. The 2014 Farm Bill – all 959 pages – was signed into law last year.

What was the year of the first Farm Bill?

A. 1917

B. 1933

C. 1970

The answer is B: 1933. The first Farm Bill, signed into law as the Agriculture Adjustment Act (AAA), was one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Born out of the Great Depression, the inaugural version controlled commodities to protect farmers’ livelihoods and ensure an adequate food supply.

In 1938, legislation established a more permanent Farm Bill with a requirement for it to be updated every five years.