Farm Bill Updates
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On May 10, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson released a title-by-title overview of their proposed Farm Bill text. Our press release is here.
On Friday May 17, the House Committee on Agriculture released a long-awaited draft of the House Farm Bill text, The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.
After review of the Chairman Thompson’s House Agriculture Committee draft of the Farm Bill, Young Farmers opposes the draft legislation.
The Coalition joins many food and agriculture systems advocates in opposing the bill for failing to prioritize equitable farmland access, divesting from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and for striking climate provisions that assist farmers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for extreme weather events.
After 13.5 hours, the House Committee on Agriculture passed their draft of the Farm Bill. The Coalition is disappointed that the text fails to meaningfully prioritize young farmers, land access, climate action, and nutrition assistance, but encouraged that the Farm Bill process continues to move forward. Thank you to everyone who took action this week to contact your members of Congress–we will not stop advocating for your priorities.
Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee will be hosting a hearing called “Pathways to Farming: Helping the Next Generation of Farmers.” Young Farmers member and Land Stewardship Project advocate, Tessa Parks, will be testifying.
You can stream the hearing on the Senate Agriculture Committee’s website at 2:30pm ET on Tuesday, June 4.
We’ve published our initial analysis of of the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill.
We’ve published our full analysis of the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act.
Young Farmers’ Analysis of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024
Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and the Senate Agriculture Committee will introduce their official draft of the bill.
We need a Farm Bill with Equity at the Center
There is incredible opportunity and power to be explored and directed in the Farm Bill. The farm bill is a piece of legislation that is reauthorized every five to six years, impacting various issues related to agriculture, nutrition, and rural development. The bill authorizes the amount of funding various programs receive. The current version of which directs $428 billion in mandatory spending alone, with almost $30 billion of that going to conservation programs.
As legislators and advocates work together this farm bill year, we are reminded of how important it is to participate in the appropriations process. Where the farm bill directs mandatory program spending, the budget is more certain. But where the farm bill directs discretionary spending, we need to be active in the annual appropriations process to ensure that authorized programs actually receive adequate funding. Without consistent annual appropriations, essential programs are unable to operate effectively or can take a long time to launch, as seen with the Heirs’ Property Relending Program and the Office of Urban Agriculture.
Other Farm Bill Resources
Young Farmer Policy Agenda
We are focused on shaping the Farm Bill and USDA’s administrative priorities, to address the structural challenges facing this new generation of young and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) farmers. We are collaborating with farmer leaders, policy makers, and diverse stakeholders to envision and design a policy framework that prioritizes equitable land access and transition, and that is deeply informed by young farmer challenges and needs related to climate change, access to clean water, viability and economic justice, and immigration and labor.
A Better Farm Bill
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Farm Bill News
- September 11, 2024
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- August 23, 2024
- 2023 Farm Bill, Latest from Young Farmers
- August 8, 2024
- Latest from Young Farmers, Press Releases
- August 8, 2024
- Latest from Young Farmers, Press Releases
- August 2, 2024
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- July 16, 2024
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