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Senate Voting
on Farm Bill Soon –
Call your Senators Today!
The Senate leadership is quickly mounting
pressure on the Agriculture Committee to finish the
Farm Bill. Right now, many confidential negotiations
are underway in preparation for the Committee’s
Farm Bill mark-up on October 23. Agriculture Committee
Chair Tom Harkin has drafted a Farm Bill with strong
organic provisions. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly
clear that other Senators are giving short shrift to
key sustainable and organic agriculture programs. We
must ensure that our organic priorities are included
in the Senate Farm Bill.
The timeline is short and your Senators
need to hear the importance of including organics in
the Farm Bill – please contact them TODAY
and urge their support for our Farm Bill organic goals!
Below are our specific Farm Bill asks and your Senators’
contact info. When you call, ask to speak to the agriculture
aide.
Organic Goals for the Farm Bill
- $25 million/year in mandatory funding for the Organic
Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).
- $25 million over 5 years for the Organic Certification
Cost Share Program.
- An Organic Conversion Program to help farmers switch
to organic practices with at least 50% of funding
going to technical assistance.
- $2 billion in new funding for the Comprehensive
Stewardship Incentives Program (CSIP), which includes
the new and improved Conservation Security Program
and support for organic practices.
Your Senators’ Contact
Info
Visit congressmerge.com/onlinedb
to find out who represents you.
Calls and faxes are more effective than emails.
Thank you for taking action! Please contact Tracy Lerman
at tracy@ofrf.org
or at 831-426-6606 to get more involved.
Recent Farm Bill Developments
After a few scheduling delays, the Senate Agriculture
Committee is now scheduled to mark up the Farm Bill
the week of October 22. Senate Agriculture Committee
Chair Tom Harkin’s (D-IA) draft Farm Bill includes
strong provisions for organics, sustainable agriculture,
conservation and food security. A number of Senators,
however, are not supportive of Harkin’s draft,
including Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND). Conrad is drafting
an alternate version of the Farm Bill, which has attracted
other Senators, and he has been vocally opposing mandatory
funding for organic agriculture research. Although several
Senators have said they support organics, no one besides
Harkin has emerged as a champion. Senator Harkin
needs stronger backing from other Senators in order
for his Farm Bill to retain its sustainable and organic
provisions.
For more information read our Farm
Bill update. Visit our Federal
Legislation Page to find other Farm Bill resources.
Farm Bill Media Round-up
"Federal
bill helps huge farmers, not California's innovate ones."
by Caroline Lochhead, published in the San Francisco
Chronicle.
“Farm
Bill withers in the absence of a Strongman.”
by David Rogers, published in the Wall Street Journal.
(Link requires subscription.)
"Lean
crop of dollars." by Andrew Martin, published
in the New York Times.
“Food
safety may stall Farm Bill.” by Mary Clare
Jalonick, published in the Washington Post.
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Join OFRF's Organic Farmers Action Network at ofrf.org/subscribe/ofan.html.
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