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CFSC Farm Bill Update 2007
Back in early 2007, Adrienne went to Washington DC to lobby for the Farm Bill in conjunction with the Community Food Security Coalition. This group is at the helm of organizing the diverse concerns and expressions so many individuals all over the United States are making towards establishing true national security, food security. The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) focuses a lot of attention on the Farm Bill and has been, in part, supported by mandatory funding provided therein.
In the House version of the 2007 Farm Bill, CFP did not receive mandatory money. As the Farm Bill moves to the Senate, your Senators need to hear from you that Community Food Projects is vital to food security in your state. Read on and learn what you can do. Thankyou!
When people feel empowered, they can be inspired to create a difference in their communities. When people have a voice in the changes that directly help their families, they become invested in the process and positive results continue to grow and succeed. This is why Community Food Projects has been so successful.
Thank you for your continued efforts to fund Community Food Projects (CFP) in the 2007 Farm Bill. As we’ve reported in previous Farm Bill updates, the CFP did not receive mandatory money in the House version of the Farm Bill. As the Farm Bill moves to the Senate, your Senators need to hear from you that Community Food Projects is vital to food security in your state.
Contact your Senators TODAY and ask them to fund Community Food Projects as close to $30 million in MANDATORY money as they can.
Your efforts right now can make a big difference to get mandatory funding for Community Food Projects in the Senate Farm Bill. If you have already called, please forward this action alert to a friend or colleague. Your Senators’ contact information can be found by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Or look it up here: http://www.senate.gov/general
ALL Senators are important to contact, but if one of your Senators is on the Agriculture Committee, they ESPECIALLY need to hear from you. To see if your Senator is on the Agriculture Committee, go to http://agriculture.senate.gov
These quick phone calls will take only a few minutes of your time, but could make a huge impact on whether this program continues. Thank you for making your voice heard!
Recent Farm Bill Developments
Senate Champion for the Community Food Projects:
Senator Debbie A. Stabenow (D-MI), an Agriculture and Finance Committee member, has agreed to champion increased funds for Community Food Projects in the upcoming Senate version of the Farm Bill. Many thanks to Senator Stabenow for her support and leadership!
Senate Timing:
According to Congress Daily on September 11, Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced that he intends for the Senate Agriculture Committee to debate the draft of the Farm Bill the week of September 24. However, there have been published reports from various new sources that have speculated later dates as well. These dates seem to be in flux, and we at CFSC will let you know as soon as we have a solid date for the Senate meeting. Because the Senate could move at any time in the next few weeks, it’s important to make calls to your Senators now.
Senate Farm Bill Finance Situation:
On Tuesday, September 11, Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT.) announced he would put forward a package between $8 billion and $10 billion in the coming weeks. Sen. Baucus’s plan includes the conversion of several conservation payment programs into tax credit offset programs, which he says would free some farm bill funding for other programs. He also proposes a trust fund to finance continued weather-related disaster insurance, tailored to constituents in the Northern Plains states. Sen. Baucus is one of the 8 members of the Finance Committee that are also on the Agriculture Committee.
Commodity Policies:
Harkin proposes limiting subsidies to $250,000 per farm household while banning any subsidies for farm households whose income exceeds $500,000. Also proposed as a reform and a change to the House version of the bill, spouses would no longer be eligible to receive farm benefits.
Senators Richard Durbin (IL) and Sherrod Brown (OH) have proposed a program that bases payments on a farmer’s loss of revenue instead of the current system that ties payments to the price of crops. An alternative to continuing the permanent crop insurance that Baucus promotes, this system could save funding for other programs. Both Harkin and the National Corn Growers Association support this plan, but some say that more state specific concerns need to be taken into account because the loss of revenue would be based on national figures, not local markets.
Conservation in the Farm Bill:
Harkin seeks to expand the Conservation Reserve Program, which rewards farmers who use responsible practices to limit soil erosion and keep fragile land out of production use. However, it is unclear whether Baucus’ funding proposal will include money for this and other conservation programs.
Senator Craig's resignation:
With the news of Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-ID) resignation, groups advocating for specialty crop issues will be losing a major ally. Sen. Craig was an original co-sponsor on the specialty crop marker bill (S. 1160), introduced by Sen. Stabenow earlier this year.
Media Report:
There have been lots of interesting editorials and articles about the Farm Bill in the last week, here are links to some that caught our attention.
Max Fraser in The Nation, "Farm Aid Raises a Vision" http://www.thenation.com/doc
Marc H. Morial of the National Urban League in Louisiana Weekly, "Congress must not forget Urban America in 2007 Farm Bill Marc H. Morial of the National Urban League in Louisiana Weekly, http://www.louisianaweekly.com
Neil Hamilton in the DesMoines Register, "Take integrated approach to a food-and-farm bill" http://www.desmoinesregister
We thank Steph Larson for organizing this information (where this came from) and keeping us in the loop! As well, for dancing at AYLS's FarmAid gig and for all the tireless energy she invests in a cause and purpose which will affect all of us every single day. Thanks again to all of you for your efforts!
Feel free to contact Steph, Sarah, and Kacie for more information!
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Community Food Security Coalition
110 Maryland Ave. NE Suite 307
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.543.8602
Email: Steph@foodsecurity.org
www.FoodSecurity.org
