Derek Sandison, elected president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture for 2026-27, says his top priority is finishing a federal farm bill — and he wants specialty crops to get more than the $1 billion they received from USDA's $11 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program.

Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture since 2015, won the NASDA board presidency last week at the organization's annual meeting in Portland, Maine. He will guide the association's work on issues affecting farmers, ranchers and the broader food system.

"You know, there's so many elements of the farm bill," he told Agri-Pulse. "HR1 [the One Big Beautiful Bill Act] covered some farm bill aspects, but there's a lot of unfinished work that we'd like to see completed there. That would really help."

He framed the stakes in margin terms. "We're in this really deeply challenging time for our farmers and ranchers, and so we need these programs … to help us help them work their way out of the current situation they're in," Sandison said.

The arithmetic behind his specialty crop argument is straightforward. The USDA program delivered $11 billion in one-time, per-acre payments to eligible row crop producers to offset trade disruptions and high input costs. Only $1 billion of that total reached specialty crop growers. "The additional bridge support for specialty crops will make it through with the farm bill," Sandison said.

Research funding is the second pillar of his agenda. Washington growers produce more than 300 different crops, and Sandison said the research burden for productivity and pest control across that portfolio is enormous. He wants a funding boost for land grant universities and NIFA, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Sandison and his NASDA colleagues also want Congress to restore two USDA-administered programs they call "very popular": the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.

Credit availability ranks alongside program funding in his assessment of farm financial stress. "We'd like to see lower-cost risk management programs implemented," he said. "Also, expand credit opportunities. That's a big deal right now with credit. Credit is a big issue, and repayment is a big issue. So we're hoping for relief in that regard, too."

A state-level farm bill for Washington

While the federal bill moves slowly through Congress, Washington state legislators and agricultural groups are floating a state-level "farm bill" to address regional funding and policy needs — a movement Sandison said stems from a "growing recognition" of industry challenges.

"We're deeply challenged right now in our agricultural industry, and so there's a need at the state level to see some support for the farm programs as well," he said. "So again, a balanced program, but certainly doing some things that are going to help restore viability to our ag industry."

Regulatory reform could feature in a state package. "Let's make sure we can streamline regulatory programs and make compliance easier on the part of agricultural landowners," Sandison said.

The organization and the new board

Founded in 1916, NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association representing the commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from all 50 states and four U.S. territories. Sandison's term will bring NASDA's next meeting to Kennewick, Washington, on Sept. 12-15, 2027. Washington will also host the fifth annual FIRA USA ag-tech showcase during his presidency, scheduled for Oct. 20-22 at the State Fair Park in Yakima.

His 2026-27 board includes Vice President Mike Naig (Iowa), Second Vice President Tyler Harper (Georgia), Secretary-Treasurer Ashley Randle (Massachusetts), Past President Amanda Beal (Maine), at-large member Jerry Costello (Illinois), and regional representatives Anson Tebbetts (Vermont), Kevin Atticks (Maryland), Brian Baldridge (Ohio) and Chanel Tewalt (Idaho).

Policy committee chairs for the coming year: Sherry Vinton (Nebraska) leads Animal Agriculture, with Randy Romanski (Wisconsin) as vice chair; Bryan Hurlburt (Connecticut) chairs Food Systems and Nutrition, with J.J. Goicoechea (Nevada); Richard Ball (New York) heads Marketing and International Trade, with Mike Beam (Kansas); Jeff Witte (New Mexico) chairs Natural Resources and Environment, with Atticks; Chris Chinn (Missouri) leads Plant Agriculture and Pesticide Regulation, with Charles Green (Virginia); and Tebbetts chairs Rural Development and Financial Security, with Don Lamb (Indiana).

Sandison brings water policy credentials to the role. Before leading WSDA, he headed the Washington State Department of Ecology's Office of Columbia River, oversaw water supply development projects critical to farmers and ranchers, helped architect the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, and played a key role in the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project.

How much of his agenda advances depends on the pace of the farm bill conference process in Congress — and on whether Washington lawmakers convert the state farm bill concept into actual legislation.