Tag Archives: Farm Bill

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 …


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.


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.


House Committee on Agriculture To Review Horticulture Priorities for the 2013 Farm Bill


Posted by HFHP Coalition
From the House Committee on Agriculture

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 – 10:00 a.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture – Public Hearing
RE: To Review Horticulture Priorities for the 2013 Farm Bill

Witnesses

Panel 1

  • Ms. Sarah M. Frey-Talley, President and CEO, Frey Farms, Keenes, Illinois
  • Mr. William L. Brim, President and Owner, Lewis & Taylor Farms, Inc., Tifton, Georgia
  • Mr. Barry Bushue, Vice President, American Farm Bureau Federation, President, Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, Boring, Oregon

Click here for more information and to webcast the hearing.


Conservation Stewardship Program Funding Fixed


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from Center for Rural Affairs

By Traci Bruckner

The Center for Rural Affairs Farm Bill Helpline is ready to assist farmers and ranchers to take advantage of one of the nation’s best conservation programs.

Farmers and ranchers will again be able to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program. CSP rewards producers for conservation practices on working lands. Funding for enrollments was accidentally cut off in the government spending bill passed last October. Congress recently passed legislation to fix that right before their Easter recess.

The legislation removes the remaining obstacles to CSP sign-up this year. It is a welcome move, as farmers and ranchers have been waiting to sign up. Each year more apply than can receive contracts, nearly twice as many.

USDA can now proceed with enrolling just over 11 million acres of farm and ranch land. This will bring the program to a grand total of 62 million acres by year’s end. The fix came in a bill to continue funding for the federal government for the next six months. We’ve pressed for this result since last October when the first government funding bill accidentally shut off CSP enrollment for 2013.

Potential applicants, move forward now, before planting season is underway and you get too busy in the field to get away. CSP is a continuous signup program, so producers can apply to enroll at any time of year. But USDA applies a cut-off date for applications to be considered during a particular fiscal year. Once the cut-off date is past, producers can continue to apply, but you won’t be considered for entry until the spring of the following year, in this case spring of 2014.

Click here to keep reading.


Download the Web Forum “Ask the Experts: Is the Price Right?”


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Understanding the economics of healthy food for consumers and farmers

On Thursday February 7, the Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition hosted an “Ask the Experts” web forum in follow-up to an August web forum in which panelists explored how the price of food affects the health of consumers and economic viability of farmers. We brought back those same panelists to spend an hour answering audience questions about the economics of healthy food.

If you missed any of the web forum, it is now available to view or download here!

We’d like to thank our panelists for sharing their unique expertise and perspectives, and for an engaging and informative discussion on the price of food: Dr. Andrea Carlson from the USDA’s Economic Research Service, Dr. Chad Hellwinckel from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the Knoxville Food Policy Council, Dr. Jennifer Obadia of the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, Alexa Delwiche of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, and Michael O’Gorman of the Farmer Veteran Coalition.

The following reports were referenced during the web forum:

This Healthy Farms Healthy People web forum was organized by Coalition Steering Committee member ChangeLab Solutions and moderated by Christine Fry.

Stay tuned for details on our next forum.


Secretary’s Column: The Importance of a Strong Safety Net


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from the United States Department of Agriculture

By Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

At the beginning of this New Year, we at USDA are redoubling our efforts to achieve an adequate, defensible safety net for producers, more economic opportunity through the biobased economy, safe and nutritious food for Americans, robust efforts to carry out research and greater conservation of our natural resources.

To further our efforts in these areas, I hope to work with Congress this year to secure passage of a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill.

One very important part of a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill is to provide a safety net for America’s producers, who face a great deal of uncertainty in their work – both from Mother Nature and market prices. Historically, the Farm Bill authorizes USDA to provide disaster assistance for producers and step in with help when they face volatile markets.

For example, prior to the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill disaster programs, USDA was able to provide more than 400,000 disaster payments totaling more than $4 billion in assistance. In fact, had the programs not previously expired, we would have been able to provide an estimated $500 million dollars in additional help for drought-impacted livestock producers in 2012.

This safety net assistance helps our farmers and ranchers focus on growing more for our nation – and it ensures that farm families have somewhere to turn when the going is especially tough.

But the importance of these programs doesn’t stop at the edge of the farm field. A strong agriculture sector impacts every American. American agriculture provides more than 80 percent of our food supply here at home. Our prosperity enables the U.S. to export billions of dollars worth of agricultural products around the world, supporting more than one million jobs. Our productivity means that American families pay less for their food at the grocery store than the people of any developed nation.

One in 12 jobs is related to agriculture – including in our biggest cities. When the business of agriculture is thriving, more jobs are created in transportation, packaging, processing and sales. And when farmers and ranchers are successful, they invest in their operation, spurring manufacturing and greater business opportunity.

At USDA we are committed to doing everything we can to support a thriving agriculture sector. Unfortunately, without a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill, it’s tougher to provide a smart and defensible safety net. This isn’t just critical for farmers – it’s important for every American. That’s why I’ll continue to work with Congress over the coming year to secure a five year Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that will give our producers the tools they need to grow and thrive.

Click here for the original post.


Beyond the Farm Bill


Posted by HFHP Coalition
Cross-posted from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

The failure of Congress to pass a Farm Bill in 2012, and the ensuing disastrous nine-month extension that eviscerated a score of programs, illustrates how impotent this policy tool has become. Instead of addressing the urgent challenges our food system faces, the Farm Bill is a patchwork of programs that not only fail to support each other, but often contradict and undermine each other. This failure, combined with growing influence of corporate money in Washington, holds true reform at a standstill.

Without a larger discussion about overarching goals for farm and food system we want, this failure is no surprise. In fact, the Farm Bill largely ignores the deep systemic challenges plaguing our farmers and food system: wild fluctuations in agriculture prices that hurt farmers and consumers, skyrocketing land prices that keep beginning farmers off the land, the exploitation of farm and food workers, the growing market power of big corporations who overwhelm local food systems built to connect with their community, and rising income inequality that keeps healthy food out of reach for many, despite its availability.

Click here for the full post.


Statement of Support for a Full and Fair Farm Bill


Posted by HFHP Coalition

On Monday, January 7, the Healthy Farms Healthy People Coalition joined 138 allied organizations from across the country in calling for a full and fair farm bill with the following statement, available here with the full list of signatories:

We, the undersigned, worked diligently and in good faith with the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to complete the 2012 Farm Bill in regular order. When that did not occur, the Committees jointly developed a plan for a one-year extension that, while flawed, had many merits. Like the Agriculture Committee leaders and members, we were shocked to learn that this agreement had been replaced by a biased extension that also disappointed the farmers, fishers, ranchers, Tribal Nations, farmworkers, and rural and urban communities we represent.

Direct payments were continued at the full 2008 levels – despite agreements to reduce them – while disaster response support for producers who have suffered up to three years of extreme drought and heat was eliminated.

In the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills, Congress gradually adopted a set of programs to build the foundation for a new food system. This emerging food system, a small but growing portion of overall US Farm and Food Policy, has the potential to enhance equity for our nation’s diverse producers and farmworkers, secure a future in agriculture for new entry farmers and rural, urban and tribal communities, and provide fresh, local food for all consumers.

The Agriculture Committees’ December 31 agreement continued 2013 support for these critical programs, which ranged from Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers to Beginning Farmer Development, Rural Development, Specialty Crop, Organic and Urban Agriculture, and others, including a deep surprise cut in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) education program. All of this funding was zeroed out as the Farm Bill extension was attached to the fiscal cliff bill that has now become law.

We thank the Agriculture Committee leadership and members for their efforts to achieve balance. Beginning immediately, we pledge to work with the incoming Agriculture Committees to complete a full and fair Farm Bill that mitigates disasters, protects natural resources, provides equity and inclusion, constructs a new and economically viable future for agriculture and rural communities, and assures healthy food for all consumers.

Click here for the statement with full list of signatories.


Connecting the Dots Web Forum Archive: Why Conservation Compliance Measures Are Important to Our Health


Posted by HFHP Coalition

If you missed our 10/17/12 web forum, Connecting the Dots: Why Conservation Compliance Measures are Important to Our Health, we’ve posted the presentation slides to our web forum archive page where you can access all of our past web forums.

What are the links between the Farm Bill’s conservation programs and public health? Learn about these critical links and why they are important. While the 2008 Farm Bill has expired, the opportunity to make a difference has not!

Featuring a panel of health and agriculture experts:

This web forum was organized by Coalition Steering Committee member Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future with funding from the National Wildlife Federation, and was moderated by Becca Klein.

View the presentation slides here.