The time is now to start thinking, talking, and taking some action to know what is coming and engaging in dialogue on the ingredients of the Farm Bill. It is a perpetual process that happens every five years and the legislation can have a dramatic effect on the business strategies of the agricultural industry.
In general, the Farm Bill connects the food on our plates, the farmers and ranchers who produce that food, and the natural resources of our soil, air and water that make growing food possible. The legislation covers programs ranging from beginning farmer training, support for sustainable farming practices, crop insurance for farmers, to healthy food access for low-income families.
For a historical perspective, the original farm bill(s) were enacted in three stages during the 1930s as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. Its three original goals were to keep food prices fair for farmers and consumers, ensure an adequate food supply, and protect and sustain the country’s vital natural resources. In great part, the early farm bills were initiated to respond to the economic and environmental crises of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Somethings seem to never change like economic and environmental crises, although the challenges take on different forms and actions.
Every five years there is an extensive process where it is proposed, debated, and passed by Congress and is then signed into law by the President. The current farm bill is called the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. As the process develops a 2023 farm bill, a new headline name will be ascribed that tries to capture support of the population. While the farm bill has changed in the last 70 years, its primary goals are the same.
The legislation has several chapters, all of which impact agriculture in some manner. Here’s what they’re called (and what they cover):
Title 1: Commodities. The Commodities title covers price and income support for the farmers who raise widely-produced and traded non-perishable crops, like corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice – as well as dairy and sugar. The title also includes agricultural disaster assistance.
Title 2: Conservation. The Conservation title covers programs that help farmers implement natural resource conservation efforts on working lands like pasture and cropland as well as land retirement and easement programs.
Title 3: Trade. The Trade title covers food export subsidy programs and international food aid programs.
Title 4: Nutrition. The Nutrition title covers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] (formerly known as food stamps) as well as a variety of smaller nutrition programs to help low-income Americans afford food for their families.
Title 5: Credit. The Credit title covers federal loan programs designed to help farmers access the financial credit (via direct loans as well as loan guarantees and other tools) they need to grow and sustain their farming operations. This is where Farm Credit gains its authority.
Title 6: Rural Development. The Rural Development title covers programs that help foster rural economic growth through rural business and community development (including farm businesses) as well as rural housing, and infrastructure.
Title 7: Research, Extension, and Related Matters. The Research title covers farm and food research, education, and extension programs designed to support innovation, from federal labs and state university-affiliated research to vital training for the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Title 8: Forestry. The Forestry title covers forest-specific conservation programs that help farmers and rural communities to be stewards of forest resources.
Title 9: Energy. The Energy title covers programs that encourage growing and processing crops for biofuel; help farmers, ranchers and business owners install renewable energy systems; and support research related to energy.
Title 10: Horticulture. The Horticulture title covers farmers market and local food programs, funding for research and infrastructure for fruits, vegetables and other horticultural crops, and organic farming and certification programs.
Title 11: Crop Insurance. The Crop Insurance title provides premium subsidies to farmers and subsidies to the private crop insurance companies who provide federal crop insurance to farmers to protect against losses in yield, crop revenue, or whole farm revenue. The title also provides USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) with the authority to research, develop, and modify insurance policies.
Title 12: Miscellaneous. The Miscellaneous title is a bit of a catch-all. The current title brings together six advocacy and outreach areas, including beginning, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers, agricultural labor safety and workforce development, and livestock health.
Beware as Congress starts their engines on this massive project, and stay tuned in for thinking, talking, and taking action.
To view the article in the online 2022 Spring Partners Magazine, click here.
