Ag Committee Passes Draft Farm Bill and More

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The latest news from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has everything you need to know about the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Passage of a Draft Farm Bill. 

Farm Bill News

COMMENT: Senate Agriculture Committee Passes Farmer-Forward Draft Farm Bill 

The draft farm bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee is laudable for its strong support for America’s family farmers and ranchers. This bill includes much-needed funding increases and critical policy improvements on key sustainable agriculture priorities. 

Senate Agriculture Committee Advances Farm Bill 

On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 20–1 during markup to pass its version of the next farm bill. However, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) expresses displeasure with the vote denial of the Senator Grassley (R-IA) amendment to lower and tighten the cap on annual per farm commodity subsidies. This post provides an overview of both standalone amendments and the “manager’s amendment” – a package of 66 amendments introduced “en bloc” and passed by a voice vote. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Commodity Programs & Crop Insurance 

Neither the failed House bill nor the recently introduced draft farm bill by Senate Agriculture Committee leadership does much to reform or improve the farm safety net. In fact, both bills go one step further toward decreasing certainty for farmers by cutting working lands conservation programs. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Beginning & Socially Disadvantaged Farmers 

We were heartened to see that many of the policy ideas, including the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act and the Assist Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Act, championed in the NSAC 2018 Farm Bill Platform were included in the Senate’s draft bill. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Local & Regional Food and Rural Development 

Notably, the draft Senate farm bill includes the centerpiece of the Local FARMS Act: the streamlining of the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP), Value-Added Producers Grant Program (VAPG), Value Chain Coordinators, and a new regional public-private partnership initiative into a single program that builds on the success of existing investments, while also establishing permanent farm bill baseline funding. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Organic Agriculture 

In the draft farm bill, organic research, data, and transition assistance programs fare very well overall. Primary areas of concern are that the bill fails to address significant issues concerning organic agriculture within working lands conservation and crop insurance programs. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Agricultural Research and Plant Breeding 

This draft provides an excellent starting point from which to move forward on our goals for agricultural research and breeding programs. Research and extension programs were re-authorized with mandatory and additional funding. The inclusion of public plant breeding provisions will help to ensure that our farmers have access to the most productive and well-adapted seeds for their operations, geographies, and climates. 

Draft Senate Farm Bill: Conservation 

Key policy reforms include several programmatic improvements from the GROW Act and the SOIL Stewardship Act. Among the most troublesome provisions is the cutting of much-needed funds from Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives program (EQIP).  

USDA NEWS  

Make Sure Your Farm is Counted: 2017 Census Of Agriculture Paper Copies Due Friday! 

Attention farmers and ranchers: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Census of Agriculture is a critical opportunity to have your operation counted and therefore considered when federal policies are made. The deadline for paper (mailed) copies is this Friday, June 15! 

$4.4 Million for 2018 Nutrition and Food Access Research Award Winners 

On May 21, 2018, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) celebrated its members and partners who received funding through the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Currently, many nutritional security programs and food system interventions operate in isolation; research projects like these seek to change that.

 

Learn more about Farm Policy and Agricultural Politics from beginningfarmers.org at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-policy-agricultural-politics/