Farm Bill Update
In this alert
- Update on organic priorities in the farm
bill.
- Meet with your Members of Congress during
Summer recesses.
- DC lobby days for organic farmers July 10-11.
Update on the Farm Bill
On July 9th, the Full House Agriculture
Committee will be marking up the Farm Bill. This is the bill’s
last stop before it goes to the full House, which is expected
to happen the week of July 23. The Senate is just beginning
their Farm Bill process – Senator Harkin (D-IA), Chairman
of the Senate Agriculture Committee will present his Farm
Bill proposal soon and it will then be taken up by the Senate
Agriculture Committee.
The chart below is a brief snapshot of goals
for organic agriculture priorities and what’s been included
by the House Agriculture Subcommittees so far. You can download
an update on the Farm Bill process to date on our website.
You will also find more Farm Bill resources on our federal
legislation page. If your Representative is a member of the
House Agriculture Committee, stay tuned for specific action
opportunities in the next few days!
| Item |
Primary Goal |
House Cmte Mark-up
to date |
| Organic Research Competitive Grants |
Minimum $15 million/yr. in mandatory funds. |
$0 to $25 million/yr. in
discretionary funds. |
| Organic Certification Cost-Share |
$25 million mandatory funds over five years, increase
cap to $750. |
$22 million over five years in contingency reserve funds
for national program, cap increased to $750. Separate
funding (up to $2 Million/yr.) for 16 states specified
in the Ag. Mgt. Assistance Act. |
| Risk Management (Crop Insurance Program) |
Removal of 5% organic surcharge; allow for payments
based on organic prices rather than conventional prices. |
Requirements for USDA process to evaluate and alter
Crop Ins. policies. Plus language & funding for USDA
data collection on production risks. |
| Conservation Programs Integration |
Removal of 5% organic surcharge; allow for payments
based on organic prices rather than conventional prices. |
Requirements for USDA process to evaluate and alter
Crop Ins. policies. Plus language & funding for USDA
data collection on production risks. |
| Conservation Programs Integration |
Full funding for CSP and cross-qualification with organic
status. |
EQIP funding of Conservation Innovation grants for outreach
to organic producers. CSP so far has no funding for new
enrollments. |
| Organic Transition Supports |
Stand-alone program for supporting transition: $50 million/yr.;
50% financial assistance, 50% technical assistance and
business advising. |
Eligibility for USDA real estate loans & guarantees.
No stand-alone transition support proposed so far. |
| Data Collection |
Expansion of 2002 Organic Data Initiative. |
$3 Million funding over five years. |
Meet with your Congress
Members during July and August Recess!
Congress will be on recess the week of July 4th, and Representatives
will be in their districts. This is a critical opportunity
to reach out to your Representative and urge him or her to
support organics in the farm bill. The sooner you call, the
more likely you are to get a meeting with your Rep. You can
also find out when your Rep will be holding town hall meetings
or other public meetings if you are unable to schedule a visit.
Congress will also be on break for the full
month of August, which is a good time to ask for a meeting
with your Senator regarding the Farm Bill. Meetings with Senators
are more difficult to get as they typically receive far more
requests, so submit yours as soon as possible.
Remember, if you succeed in getting a meeting,
tell us about it by sending an email to action@ofrf.org.
Note: Meeting requests typically have to be
in writing and addressed to the scheduler. Call the number
provided to find out the address and name of the scheduler.
Contact Tracy at OFRF for help in scheduling district visits
and for background materials – (831) 426-6606.
DC Farm Bill Lobby Days
OFRF is recruiting organic farmers to participate in DC Farm
Bill lobby days on July 10 and 11. Target states include GA,
OH, CA, IL, PA, MN, CO, IA, and KS. OFRF is covering all the
costs of 1 or 2 farmers from each target state to travel to
DC. If you live in one of those states and want to help us
fight for organic priorities in the farm bill, contact Tracy
right away at (831) 426-6606.
Sign up to OFAN by going
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page.
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