Information provided by Congresswoman Pingree’s office.
THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS THE BILL MOVES FORWARD!
For more information, contact Emily Horton
(207) 774-5019
Emily.Horton@mail.house.gov
Local and Regional Food Systems & Rural Development
Read more here
Glad to see:
Increase in mandatory funding for Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Program: provides $275 million over 5 years, establishes permanent baseline.
Mixed bag:
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program reauthorized but proposed expansion to include low-income veterans and commensurate increase in funding not included. Flat funding $20.6m/yr mandatory.
Food Safety Outreach Program reauthorized but not provided any mandatory funding; proposed policy changes to the program were not included that would enhance community-based organizations’ ability to access the program.
Gives USDA authority to conduct pilots to test mobile technology for SNAP benefits which could provide new methods for accepting SNAP at farmers markets, CSAs etc.
Of concern:
Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program reauthorized but provided no mandatory funding (2014 Farm Bill provided $30m/yr mandatory).
Value-added Producer Grants Program reauthorized but provided no mandatory funding (2014 Farm Bill provided $63 million in a mandatory lump sum to be spent over 5 years).
National Organic Certification Cost Share Program eliminated: no reauthorization, no mandatory or discretionary funding.
Rural Energy for America Program reauthorized but permanent baseline funding of $50m/yr eliminated.
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program reauthorized but provided no mandatory funding (2014 Farm Bill provided $3m/yr mandatory).
Not included:
Proposed Food Safety Cost Share Program not included.
No-cost provision on geographic preference to support farm-to-school initiatives not included.
Proposed Harvesting Health Pilot (produce prescriptions) not included.
Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
Read more here
Glad to see:
Continues existing mandatory funding for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) of $20m/yr, includes new priorities on land access, succession planning, food safety; waiver to matching funds requirement
New farmland data initiative included
Expands crop insurance benefits for beginning farmers enrolling in Whole Farm Revenue Protection insurance
Continued funding for the Conservation Reserve Program Transition Incentives Program (CRP-TIP)
Establishes the Commission on Farm Transitions to study issues around access to land, credit, and risk management tools, as well as to explore potential incentives to facilitate farm transfers
Mixed bag:
Continued funding for the Outreach and Assistance for Local Farmers and Ranchers (2501) Program, but no increase. Includes a new priority/carve-out for youth education projects
Of concern:
No permanent baseline funding for BFRDP, 2501 or CRP-TIP
No mandatory funding for Individual Development Accounts, Value-Added Produce Grant Program, Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
Raises loan limits on guaranteed loans to $1.75 million but no changes to direct loans
Conservation – Including Working Lands Conservation Programs
Read more here
Glad to see:
Increased funding for Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
Elimination of livestock carve-out within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Continuation of CRP-TIP
Of concern:
Repeals Regional Equity provision
Allows 100% forested land to be eligible for ACEP-Agricultural Land Easements
Elimination of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). (“Stewardship Contracts” added to EQIP to replace CSP do not retain the core features of CSP)
Funding for the two major working lands programs, EQIP and CSP, would be cut by nearly $5 billion over 10 years
Conservation Reserve Program acreage increase comes at the expense of payment rates and incentive payments within the continuous CRP enrollment, which would have negative implications for new conservation buffers and partial field enrollments
Research
Read more here
Glad to see:
Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative (OREI) – $10m increase in mandatory funding (up to $30m/yr), includes soil health priority
Of concern:
Reauthorization of SARE, AFRI, OREI, SCRI, BFRDP but funding increase only for OREI
Not included:
No components of H.R. 5208 (Seeds for the Future Act) included
Crop Insurance and Commodities
Read more here
Glad to see:
Extension of beginning farmer crop insurance discounts to 10 years for Whole Farm Revenue Protection policy.
Of concern:
Elimination of Risk Management Education Partnership program
Not included:
No significant provisions to expand access to crop insurance for diversified, organic, and direct-to-market producers through improvements to Whole Farm Revenue Protection, NAP, or outreach and training programs.