Farm Bill 2012

It is October 2011 and on the minds of our nation's farmers is the ever looming question of the Farm Bill.  What will the US Department of Agriculture write into the 2012 Farm Bill? Will the budget be under the control of the USDA or under the control of the Super Committee?

For those of us interested in local, organic, specialty crops and rural development the 2008 Farm Bill designated $7.1 billion of the total budget (projected to be $640.7 billion over 2008-17) to "agricultural trade programs, new horticulture and organic spending, and supplemental disaster assistance". 

This was the first time mandatory funding was given to local and regional food systems.  As we've seen over the last 3 years there has been an increased demand and awareness for local and organic foods.  Although the demand has grown we still lack sufficient supply of local, regional, and organic foods, and the cost of these foods is higher than what is available in the supermarkets.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has been able to use these monies to great effect in their Specialty Crop Grants.  These grants have awarded monies to farmers markets which  create a space for us to trade for good, healthy locally grown foods in support of the security of our regional food systems.

Advocating for local, regional, and organic food in the 2012 Farm Bill is Representative
Chellie Pingree (D-ME). Congresswoman Pingree and others will introduce a Local & Regional Food Systems Marker Bill with the goal of having those items included in the final Farm Bill.  The bill's provisions and programs will touch on the following topics:

value-added agriculture;
farm credit;
agricultural research;
specialty crops;
organic farming;
nutrition programs;
farmers markets;
crop insurance for diversified operations;
food safety; and
conservation

Look for its introduction in late October/ early November. 

For further reading:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/farm-bill-2012-innovative-farming_n_860069.html