American Farmland Trust (AFT) congratulates House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) on successfully concluding the Committee’s draft of the 2013 Farm Bill. AFT President Jon Scholl said, “The Committee bill is a critically important step toward the end goal we all share of a five-year farm bill. I [...]
Author Archives: American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust Calls on House of Representatives to Remedy Two Conservation Issues in 2013 Farm Bill
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Agriculture in a Changing Climate: 25x’25 Alliance Report Offers Climate Change Adaptation Recommendations
Many farmers, foresters, and ranchers throughout the United States are adjusting their operations to reduce the risks associated with increasingly variable and unpredictable weather. In addition, producers are facing unprecedented economic, social, and environmental pressures which require that they balance for multiple outcomes. These challenges include feeding, clothing, housing, and fueling a rapidly growing world, [...]
Posted in Blog Posts, News Items Tagged 25x25, climate change, conservation, environment Comments closed
Farm Policy Roundup – March 15, 2013
The legislative calendar for March continues to be dominated by federal budget and spending legislation. This week, the Senate began work on continuing appropriations to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2013. The current continuing resolution expires on March 27, so Congress is quickly approaching a key deadline. Funding for agriculture, rural development, FDA [...]
Posted in Blog Posts Tagged budget, estate tax, Kathleen Merrigan, rural heritage, USDA Comments closed
Farm Policy Roundup – February 22, 2013
American Farmland Trust President Jon Scholl sent a letter this week to the Bi-Cameral Task Force on Climate Change in response to a request for input from the task force. AFT’s letter presented information to the task force on opportunities for Congress and the administration to act on climate change, both in terms of helping [...]
Posted in Blog Posts Tagged ag outlook forum, conservation, conservation reserve program, farm bill Comments closed
Farm Policy Roundup – February 15, 2013
It has been a busy week in the agriculture committees. The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing, Drought, Fire and Freeze: The Economics of Disasters for America’s Agricultural Producers, on last year’s natural disasters and the impact to agriculture. Much of the hearing focused on the beneficial role conservation practices play in helping farmers recover from natural [...]
Posted in Blog Posts Tagged climate change, conservation, farm bill, farmland protection, sodsaver Comments closed
Farm Policy Roundup 2/8/13
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its February budget update this week. The following analysis is based on comparing the updated February 2013 baseline to the March 2012 baseline. Overall, CBO projects the entire farm bill baseline (all titles) to be down $13.7 billion or 1.5 percent. Conservation programs are projected to be down $351 [...]
Posted in Blog Posts Tagged census of agriculture, climate change, disaster assistance, senate agriculture committee Comments closed
Farm Policy Roundup 2/1/13
Some momentum appears to be building for re-writing the Farm Bill in 2013. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently filed S.10, which is the version of the farm bill passed by the Senate in 2012. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., applauded Senator Reid’s “leadership and commitment to getting a five-year farm bill done [...]
Agriculture Must Remain Unified and Strong
This post was originally featured on AgriPulse. Like many folks, I have been wrestling with some of the questions Secretary Tom Vilsack posed recently regarding the future of rural America, citing the recent farm bill process. In December, at the Farm Journal Forum in Washington, D.C., and in subsequent speeches around the country, Secretary Vilsack [...]
American Farmland Trust Calls Extension of Old Farm Bill a Missed Opportunity
PRESS RELEASE Washington D.C., December 31, 2012 —American Farmland Trust (AFT) President Jon Scholl called Congress’s decision today to extend the current farm bill, rather than proceed with a comprehensive five-year farm bill, a missed opportunity that leaves U.S. farmers less secure and puts important programs that conserve soil and improve water quality in limbo. “We believe [...]
Time is Running Out to Pass a Farm Bill in 2012
The clock is ticking. Time is running out for Congress to pass a comprehensive, five-year Farm Bill. To date, this critical legislation has had tremendous support at every juncture, with strong bipartisan adoption by the full Senate and by the House Agriculture Committee. America’s farming families have faced incredible uncertainty this year. It is past [...]
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