Author Archives: HFHP Coalition

The 2013 Farm Bill Debate Moves to the Full Senate Floor – Action Needed!


Posted by HFHP Coalition

Action Alert from Rural Coalition

The 2013 Farm Bill Debate Moves to the Full Senate Floor – Action Needed!

NEXT UP – The Senate Agriculture Committee passed their version of the 2013 Farm Bill and have already prepared it for Senate Floor action where debate is expected to begin today May 21st. Amendments are being introduced and now is a critical time to ask your Senators to cosponsor and vote for critical amendments on the Senate floor. We will send a fuller list of amendments later in the day. For the moment, we urge you to take rapid action to support several amendments especially important to achieving equity for all farmers.

Senate Amendments to Increase Equity in the 2013 Farm Bill

Senator Tom Udall is introducing an amendment this morning to restore funding to the Outreach and Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers.

He is also working on additional amendments – one would make a receipt for service automatic for to all farmers requesting service to help assure that all farmers and ranchers receive equitable access to and uniform information about all USDA programs, and to improve access for traditional irrigation association members to expand conservation practices.

We urge you to call your two Senators as soon as possible this morning to urge them to co-sponsor and vote for Senator Tom Udall’s amendment to restore funding of $17 million annually to the Outreach and Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers.

Keep Reading … 


Tell the Senate: Oppose Cuts to SNAP and SNAP-Ed


Posted by HFHP Coalition

Action Alert from Public Health Institute

The full Senate is discussing the Farm Bill this week. Right now, the bill protects SNAP-Ed, but proposes $4.1 billion in cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps). These nutrition programs are under threat and need your support now.

Over the next few days,  we’ll see amendments that try to strip even more funding from SNAP, and cut SNAP-Ed and other nutrition programs. We need to call today and make sure our senators hear loud and clear that they have to oppose any cuts to our nutrition programs.

Call your senators and tell them America’s hungriest people are depending on full funding for our nutrition programs.

Talking Points for your call
Introduce yourself to your senators, tell them you are a constituent, tell them you strongly support provisions in the Senate Bill S. 954 that protect SNAP-Ed and increase access to healthy foods, and ask them to:

  • Vote No on the Thune amendment, which proposes significant cuts to SNAP-Ed
  • Reject amendments that would cut funding or weaken nutrition programs, including SNAP and SNAP-Ed.
  • Protect other important nutrition programs like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs and proposals to strengthen SNAP retailer standards to improve access to healthy foods in low-income communities.

Call your Senators

OpenCongress.org provides an easy, zip-code lookup that provides your senators’ direct phone numbers. Find your senators’ numbers.

On twitter? You can also find and send a tweet to your Senator.

Here’s a sample tweet:
@senator, Vote for a #FairFarmBill that fully protects #SNAP and #SNAPEd. America can’t afford not to feed its hungriest families.

@senator, #SNAP-Ed works! A #FairFarmBill puts the healthiest foods on the tables of those who need it.


Farm Policy Roundup from American Farmland Trust


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from American Farmland Trust

By Jeremy Peters

House and Senate Agriculture Committees completed work this week on their respective versions of the 2013 Farm Bill. Highlights of both markups are below. Major differences exist between the bills, primarily on nutrition and commodity programs. A significant development in the Senate bill was the committee’s support for reattachment of conservation compliance to crop insurance premium assistance, and removal of crop insurance limits from the committee bill. This has been a hard-fought agreement and support for conservation compliance is now needed in the Senate to keep those provisions intact.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has indicated the Senate will take up the Farm Bill beginning on Monday, May 20 so time is of the essence in getting contacts made to Senate offices. A host of amendments are anticipated to place means testing on crop insurance (Durbin-Coburn), cap or even eliminate premium support (Shaheen-Toomey, Flake, Feinstein-McCain), and to publish farmer information on crop insurance assistance. Amendments are also anticipated from Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. to strip conservation compliance and wetland protections from the bill. AFT has worked with partners on the agreement to develop a handy Conservation Compliance FAQ to help answer questions about what the compliance agreement means.

Now to recap the week’s committee activities—

After a relatively short mark-up, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 15-5 to move their version of the farm bill out of committee. AFT continues to carefully monitor changes to the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). An amendment from Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., was successful in removing the 40 percent funding floor for the Agricultural Land Easement portion of ACEP, which leaves funding for farmland protection potentially exposed to diversion to wetlands, grasslands and other lands of ‘ecological value.’ We are working with committee staff to provide the strongest possible report language to give USDA direction in that regard.

A second notable amendment was from Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., which provides a technical fix to the certification program under ALE. As you are aware, the certification process provided in the 2008 Farm Bill has proven to be a challenge based on NRCS interpretation of the program, so the Leahy amendment along with strengthened report language will provide greater clarity and an improved process for states and other qualified entities to become certified.

The House Agriculture Committee marked-up their version of the farm bill until late Wednesday evening. Consideration of the conservation title was dispensed with fairly early in the markup with five amendments brought up for consideration. The final committee vote on approving the bill out of committee was 36-10. Differences on nutrition, dairy, sugar and conservation compliance are setting up for a major farm bill floor fight in the House of Representatives as early as mid-June.

Keep reading…


NEW Issue Brief: Finding Common Ground on Health and Safety for Farmworkers and Farmers


Posted by HFHP Coalition

The bucolic image of rolling farmland belies the real dangers of farm work: agriculture is considered the most dangerous industry in the United States. While farmers are on average healthier than the rest of the population, they face more occupational health and safety hazards. Farmworkers confront the same occupational hazards, on top of health problems stemming from low socioeconomic status and the transient lifestyle their jobs often require.

Learn more about the unique health concerns of farmers and farmworkers, and why there is a business case, in addition to the moral case, for making work safer and healthier for everyone on the farm.

Click here to download the issue brief.

Check out more in the Finding Common Ground series.

Finding Common Ground is a series of Healthy Farms Healthy People issue briefs, authored by Coalition Steering Committee Member Organization ChangeLab Solutions, bringing agriculture and health stakeholders together, to build a stronger base of support for a healthy, economically viable food and farming system in the United States. Each brief highlights a food and farming issue in which agriculture and health stakeholders have shared interest.


Farm to School Food Safety Project


Posted by HFHP Coalition

The Colorado Farm to School Task Force in partnership with other key stakeholders identified food safety as one of the major challenges facing the implementation of statewide farm to school programming. To help address these barriers, the Task Force with Spark Policy Institute and the Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment has produced a comprehensive review and analysis of the statutory and regulatory structure of agricultural policies as they relate to farm to school, with a specific focus on the interconnectedness of federal mandates on state regulatory structures and local county health regulations related to food safety.

The report Farm to School Food Safety: A Review of Agricultural Policies & Practices provides a comprehensive analysis of food safety in farm to school programming as it moves through the food chain, and is a valuable resource for policy makers, state agencies, school food service directors, and universities involved in agricultural food safety as it relates to farm to school programs.

Visit the Colorado Farm to School website for more resources including two Just the Facts Please briefs and interactive presentations designed specifically for food service directors and for producers, and a quick reference guide on Colorado government’s roles in food safety: Whose Role is It? Colorado State and Local Agency Roles in Farm to School Food Safety.

This project is part of a series funded by the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition through a CDC cooperative agreement administered by the National Network of Public Health Institutes.  ChangeLab Solutions provided technical assistance for the series. The views and opinions of these authors and organizations are not necessarily those of CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).


Farm Policy Roundup from American Farmland Trust


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from American Farmland Trust

By Jeremy Peters

A fast legislative sprint is ahead over the next few weeks as both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees release legislative language and begin consideration of the 2013 Farm Bill. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has released a committee draft of the legislation which will be marked up next Tuesday, May 14 at 10 AM. That legislation could move to the Senate floor before Memorial Day. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has also released a committee draft which will be marked up next Wednesday, May 15 at 10 AM. Both drafts contain many provisions from the 2012 House and Senate farm bills.

Summaries of the Senate and House drafts are available.

Below is a quick rundown of the respective committee drafts.

Conservation Title Programs

Conservation programs are consolidated in an identical fashion from 23 programs down to 13 programs. The Senate Agriculture draft proposes a cut of $5 billion over 10 years while the House Agriculture draft proposes a cut of $6.9 billion over 10 years.

The combined Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) will still merge the existing Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP). A major difference regarding the ACEP program is funding, with the House committee draft cutting an additional $166 million from the program compared to the 2012 House committee proposal. There are also technical provisions that AFT is working to assess and provide recommendations to the committees.

Keep reading …


NEW Issue Brief: Finding Common Ground on Environmentally Sound Economically Viable Agriculture


Posted by HFHP Coalition

Environ-Sound-Econ-Viable-Ag_cvrIt’s a common saying that farmers are the original environmentalists: their livelihoods are so dependent on land and water that they can’t help but care about environmental issues. The interdependence between farms and the environment also matters for public health.

Public health professionals have long been involved in setting and enforcing food safety, water quality, and air quality standards. In recent years, rising rates of diet-related diseases has made collaboration between the public health and agriculture communities even more pressing. The growing involvement of public health in agriculture policymaking provides an opportunity to identify ways to increase access to nutritious food while protecting the environment and the farmer’s bottom line.

Learn about strategies to advance public health and environmentally sound agriculture alike.

Click here to download the issue brief.

Check out more in the Finding Common Ground series.


Secretary’s Column: Ready to Help Pass a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from USDA

By Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

In recent months, the Federal budget has dominated the conversation here in Washington. At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we have been working hard on mission critical priorities, even as we implement mandatory across-the-board budget cuts.

The good news is that our proactive efforts to cut costs have saved more than $828 million in recent years, putting us in a better position to deliver important programs.

But we also have not lost sight of a key requirement for these programs to continue: passage of a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill.

In January, Congress took short-term action to extend many 2008 Farm Bill programs for nine months. Those programs will expire in September, limiting their effectiveness and providing no long-term certainty for farmers, ranchers and rural communities.

As Congress returns to Washington in the coming days, leaders from both parties have signaled a willingness to come together and get a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill passed. That is promising news. USDA intends to provide whatever technical assistance we can to help Congress pass a long-term, comprehensive bill.

A Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would allow USDA to continue our record accomplishments on behalf of the American people, while providing new income opportunities across rural America.

It would enable USDA to further expand markets for agricultural products at home and abroad, strengthen conservation efforts, create new opportunities for local and regional food systems and grow the biobased economy.

It would maintain important agricultural research, and ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all Americans. A comprehensive bill would also continue programs that directly help rural communities – such as the 110 grants USDA awarded this week under our Value-Added Producer Grant program to help rural small businesses manufacture new products, expand local food systems and create jobs.

We have not lost sight of the importance of a long-term Food, Farm and Jobs Bill – and I know folks across rural America are counting on Congress to get the job done as soon as possible. We stand ready to help in any way we can.

For the original posting and an audio version, click here.


New Release: The Intersection of Producers and Consumers Within New Hampshire’s Food System


Posted by HFHP Coalition

Last spring the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), selected seven nonprofit organizations to conduct policy research and analysis projects at the intersection of food systems and health. Each organization has examined issues of healthy nutrition in a broader perspective of agriculture and food systems.

NNPHI Image

The Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition is excited to release the first paper in the series: The Intersection of Producers and Consumers Within New Hampshire’s Food System by the Community Health Institute. The paper offers a comprehensive analysis of New Hampshire’s food system, including recommended practices to support a healthy food system in a resource-constrained environment.

The study incorporates views and knowledge from many people representing a diverse and broad range of perspectives on the intersection between producers and consumers of local foods in NH, and provides analysis of existing policies, programs, and practices fostering or hindering access to locally-produced foods as well as innovative strategies that promote linkages between consumers and producers of local foods in NH.

This comprehensive study of NH’s food system, including a review of local and national policies, programs, and practices, is a valuable resource for New Hampshirites and health, agriculture, and food system stakeholders across the country.

From the abstract:

Although most food consumed in NH is secured from producers outside of the state, approximately 12% of foods produced in NH are sold directly from producers to consumers, compared to less than 1% nationally. A mixed methods design that included interviews, focus groups, and surveys enabled examination of the intersection of local food producers and consumers, innovative strategies to promote linkages between producers and consumers, and identified practices that support a strong local food system in an environment with constrained resources.

Funding for this series is provided by the Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition through a CDC cooperative agreement administered by the National Network of Public Health Institutes. ChangeLab Solutions provided technical assistance for the series. The views and opinions of these authors and organizations are not necessarily those of CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Stay tuned for more research and analysis at the intersection of health and agriculture!


Farm Bureau Urges Support for Fruit, Veggie Farmers


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from American Farm Bureau Federation

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 24, 2013 – Providing new farm bill programs for fruit and vegetable farmers would help ensure a strong agricultural economy and benefit the health of the entire nation, American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Barry Bushue told Congress today.

“The farm bill helps farmers and ranchers deal with the risks that threaten their ability to produce the food, fiber and fuel we all need,” Bushue testified to the House’s Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture.


Farm Bureau urged lawmakers to extend some programs normally available only to growers of crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat, to farmers who grow specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture/nursery crops and floriculture.

The value of specialty crop production in the U.S. is significant, accounting for approximately 17 percent of the $391 billion in agriculture cash receipts collected in 2012, Bushue noted.

Starting with the next farm bill, Farm Bureau has proposed the extension of a new program – Stacked Income Protection Plan or STAX for short – for growers of the so-called program crops including field corn for livestock, soybeans and wheat, as well as apples, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes and sweet corn.

“The program would be administered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency in a manner consistent with the current crop insurance delivery system,” said Bushue. “It is designed to complement existing crop insurance programs. It does not change any features of existing insurance policies,” he explained.

The five specialty crops Farm Bureau proposed for STAX coverage each rank in the top 13 in value of production for the country; represent at least 2 percent of the nation’s value of production; and are grown in at least 13 states. In addition, insurance is currently available for each of the crops. If STAX is used to cover these five specialty crops, fruit and vegetable farmers in 44 states would benefit.

Farm Bureau also urged Congress to continue some programs for fruit and vegetable growers that were first included in the farm bill in 2008. Those programs include the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in elementary schools and initiatives that help bring fruits and vegetables produced within a state to local schools.

Other programs for specialty crop farmers Farm Bureau would like to see continued in the next farm bill include outreach and training on Good Agriculture Practices aimed at improving food safety, traceability and productivity; initiatives for pest and plant disease control; and improving direct-to-consumer retail opportunities.

“We encourage the House Agriculture Committee to continue to invest in our specialty crop producers,” concluded Bushue.

Click here for the original post.