Farm bill

FSA Administrator Launches Educational Campaign on ACRE in North Dakota

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today urged producers to learn about the new Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program before the August sign-up deadline.

Congress created ACRE in the 2008 Farm Bill to give producers an additional option to help manage the risks associated with farming. Farm Service Agency Administrator Doug Caruso will launch an educational campaign on the ACRE program this week in North Dakota during a series of meetings with farmers, including an event today with the North Dakota Farmer's Union.

"The ACRE Program is an innovative risk management tool and I encourage producers to seriously consider whether to adopt this option," said Vilsack.    » read more »

June 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, applauded an announcement today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that action has been taken – under the directive of President Obama – to expedite the release of new money to promote the production and use of biofuels. These funds were mandated in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, the farm bill, under Harkin’s leadership.    » read more »

Income Data Provided by IRS Will be Used by USDA to Validate Payment Eligibility

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2009 - In response to the discovery of nearly $50 million in payments to ineligible farmers, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have begun efforts to ensure that high-income individuals and entities who request USDA payments meet income limits set forth in the 2008 Farm Bill.    » read more »

Withdraws Proposed $3 Million Cut to Fruit and Vegetable Program

WASHINGTON, Monday, January 26, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced he will extend the comment period for the 2008 Farm Bill Farm Program Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility rulemaking process.

Vilsack discussed his priorities as Secretary of Agriculture during a teleconference call today with agriculture and other reporters across the country and said that as part of the regulatory review process outlined by the White House and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), he is directing the Department to extend the comment period for the payment limits rule for an additional 60 days.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008 –Department of Agriculture officials will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, July 22 on the establishment of the BioPreferred voluntary labeling program. This program will allow USDA to authorize manufacturers and vendors of qualifying biobased products to use a "USDA Certified Biobased Product" label.

The 2002 Farm Bill established a program for the procurement of biobased products by federal agencies and a voluntary program for labeling of biobased products, later named the BioPreferred Program. The 2008 Farm Bill continues and expands provisions related to the BioPreferred Program.    » read more »

June 2, 2008 -- With the summer harvest season right around the corner, and roadside produce stands popping up at country intersections across the state, the end of spring is a mouthwatering time to think about Michigan agriculture.

When, after months of delays, Congress recently passed the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the Farm Bill, the season was appropriate. This critical legislation – which was passed over a presidential veto – will offer a boost to the Michigan farmers who sell their produce locally and who send Michigan-grown agriculture across the country. The bill will also crack down on speculators who are driving high energy prices, and offer much-needed support for conservation, biofuels and nutrition programs.    » read more »

5/22/2008 -- "I was proud to stand with my Senate colleagues in overriding President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill by a vote of 82 to 13. This bill is now law, and will move us further down the path to energy independence, provide a safety net for family farmers, enhance nutrition programs, require Country-of-Origin labeling, and improve access to broadband in rural communities," said Senator Clinton.

Hillary Clinton: Photo by circulating (CC)    » read more »

Vote Preserves Chesapeake Bay Funding Bush Administration Labeled as "Ill-Considered"

May 21, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement after the U.S. House voted today to override the President's veto of the Food and Energy Security Act (H.R. 2419), which includes $438 million in conservation funding for the Chesapeake Bay. In the President's veto statement, he singled out the funding for the Bay as "ill-considered." The Senate is expected to override the veto later this evening.    » read more »

May 21, 2008 -- “The President’s veto should not stand, and it will not stand.

“If President Bush is allowed to have his way, this veto would be a setback for farmers, for hard-pressed Americans trying to keep food on the table, for our promising organic farming sector, and for efforts to clean up Lake Champlain.

“The economy is sliding and more families are at the edge. This bill is a big boost for anti-hunger efforts like Food Stamps that will help families who are struggling the most. It will help keep public food shelves stocked in Vermont and other states.

“We have a strong, bipartisan majority behind us, and my sense is that Congress will override this veto and the Farm Bill will become law before the week is out.”    » read more »

5/15/2008 -- Statement of NCTA President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA):

“We applaud the leadership of Senators Harkin and Chambliss and Representatives Peterson and Goodlatte for their hard work to gain passage of the 2008 Farm Bill. This legislation sharpens the focus of the Rural Utilities Service’s Broadband Loan Program by limiting loans in areas where competition already exists, and targeting loans to areas without widespread access to broadband service. The 2008 Farm Bill represents a strong step in ensuring that government broadband deployment programs give the highest priority to areas that do not yet have access to broadband service.”    » read more »

May 15, 2008 -- Chicago, IL -- Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement in response to the passage of the Senate Farm Bill.

"I applaud the Senate's passage today of the Farm Bill, which will provide America's hard-working farmers and ranchers with more support and more predictability."

"The bill places greater resources into renewable energy and conservation. And, during this time of rising food prices, the Farm Bill provides an additional $10 billion for critical nutrition programs. I am also pleased that the bill includes my proposal to help thousands of African-American farmers get their discrimination claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement."    » read more »

May 15, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Clinton today welcomed Senate passage of the 2008 Farm Bill conference report. The bill, which includes several measures that Senator Clinton cosponsored, provides needed funding for conservation, nutrition and renewable energy programs for American farmers and consumers. Having been approved by both houses of Congress, the bill will now go to the President for signature.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, May 14 – Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) applauded inclusion of key nutrition, renewable energy, and food security provisions in a farm bill poised for final passage by the Senate later this week. The measure also expands the Milk Income Loss Contract Program crucial to Vermont dairy farmers.

Sanders championed a fresh-produce snack program. He helped to secure expanded support for wood as an energy resource. A nutrition education program that links schools with community gardens also was included at his request in the final bill.    » read more »

Major Boosts For State’s Dairy, Organic, Anti-Hunger And Lake Champlain Priorities

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, May 14) -- Vermont’s clout in agriculture policy again is paying big dividends as Congress races to finish work on a new bipartisan five-year Farm Bill. The House Wednesday passed the newly negotiated Farm Bill by a veto-proof vote of 318 to 106, and the Senate has set its vote on the bill for Thursday. The Senate is also expected to pass the bill with more than enough votes to override a threatened presidential veto.    » read more »

Issues Include the Federal Farm Bill, Labor Needs, and Economic Development

May 12, 2008 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today met with more than 100 farmers in Western New York to discuss issues of critical importance to New York's 36,000 farms.

Farms in upstate New York: Photo by Keturah Stickann/John Menier (CC)

Governor Paterson detailed the unprecedented agricultural aid provided in the 2008-2009 enacted state budget during a town hall event that allowed farmers to discuss unique problems they face in this tough economic time.    » read more »