Posts in category "Farm Bill"
$7 per Gallon: The Cost of Not Passing a New Farm Bill
When 2012 was coming to a close, the government was in the process of making series decisions about whether to jump off the fiscal cliff or turn around and climb down.One of the central tenets of this challenge is, of course, food. The 2008 Farm Bill expired at the end of September 2012, and a new one has not yet been set in place, which could cause reversion to a 1949, Farm Bill, which was the last time long-term legislation was passed. The cost of not extending parts of the 2008 Farm Bill or passing a new one for 2013, is that milk was said to sky rocket to approximately $7 per gallon from the average $3.65 per gallon it costs now.
In 2012, the Democrat-controlled Senate drafted a version of a new Farm Bill for 2013, which the Republican-controlled House rejected followed by a failure to come up with their own version. With time running out and the threat of sky-rocketing dairy prices, Senate voted on January 1 to extend parts of the 2008 farm bill through September 2013, to keep the cost of dairy down. Parts of the Farm Bill regarding organic and sustainable agriculture, were left of out the bill. Of course, this is only a band-aid, and is particularly disappointing to farmers who were hoping for long-term change. The extension of the 2008 Farm Bill will give the government 9 months to work on creating a new 5-year plan.
For the most up-to-date information on the Farm Bill, continue reading:
Fiscal Cliff and the Farm Bill [FarmPolicy.com]
Senate Approves Farm Bill Extension, Aims to Prevent Milk Price Surge [Detroit Free Press]
Farm Bill Update: New Year But Same Old Shenanigans [FoodandWaterWatch.org]
Sukkot and the Farm Bill
New York
September 28th 2012 / 12th Tishrei 5773
Dear All,
Sukkot starts on Sunday. It’s one of my favorite holidays: Sitting in a succah; the lulav and etrog; celebrating the harvest; feeling exposed to the world – in good ways; thinking about relationship to place – both locally, and in relation to Israel. Celebrating the change of season.
Liz and I are going to Isabella Freedman for Sukkahfest this Sunday – Freedman being the perfect place to spend Sukkot, as the New England leaves start to change color; and Sukkot being the perfect time to be at Isabella Freedman, especially since this year the succah, which is huge and beautiful, has a solid foundation, and thus won’t slide into the mud if it rains, which the weather forecast says is statistically unlikely. (Sukkahfest is almost sold-out, but to get one of the last reservations, or to join a list for cancellations, check Isabella Freedman’s website.)
Congress Back at Work… But Not on the Farm Bill
Just to recap: Congress left DC in July with a Farm Bill mess: 5-year Farm Bill legislation was moved aside in the House for a Disaster Relief Bill, which was turned into discussion about a one-year short term bill while the Senate was holding on to the version of the Farm Bill they passed in June. Ultimately, the session closed and the two houses couldn’t agree on what type of bill to pass, let alone what the details of the bill would be. (more…)
Congress Goes on Recess, No Farm Bill Passed: Summer Round up
Like many predicted, the house could not pass a new farm bill before their five-week recess, which does not end until after Labor day. With the current farm bill expiring September 30th, the House must act fast after their vacation to pass a new five-year farm bill. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) stated in an op-ed last week that if the House fails to pass a bill before the deadline, our energy security will be threatened. They went on to say that they favor the Senate’s version, and called the House’s version a “death sentence” to the bioenergy programs necessary for energy security. Unfortunately it is unlikely that the Republicans in the House will pass a long term farm bill because they passed a short term bill extension before the recess. (more…)
Major News Concerning Farm Bill 2012
Because of the devastating drought happening in our country, House leaders are finally working to create a short-term bill that would aid farmers, mainly in the Midwest, whose cropland has been hit hard. With 55% of the nation’s pasture and land in very poor condition, and an addition 76 counties in 6 states being called ‘drought disaster areas’, the House cannot wait any longer to act. However, it’s still unclear whether or not lawmakers will use this opportunity to renew existing agriculture programs, or just pass a disaster bill that would give short-term relief to cattle, pork and poultry farmers, since many programs that once helped those farmers expired last year. (more…)
Weekly Farm Bill Round Up! 7/23-7/28
Update: Congress has still not passed the new farm bill, and it’s becoming a huge problem for all. The responses to these two questions will 
determine whether or not it even passes this year; who should pay to reduce the nation’s huge $1.2 trillion deficit? And, what is the government’s obligation to help people in need? And while both questions don’t directly have anything to do with the farm bill or agriculture, the potential changes and passage of the farm bill could be a solution for both [Oregon Live].
Even more unfortunate news… (more…)
Weekly Farm Bill Round Up! 7/16-7/20
House panel approves farm bill 35-11, with a strong bipartisan majority, and putting pressure on the Republican leadership to allow floor debate on the subject this summer. This measure promises $35 billion in 10-year savings, unfortunately achieved through tremendous cuts from food stamps and major rewrites of commodity programs. (more…)
Portland Tuv Ha’Aretz Presents: Why Should You Care About the Farm Bill?
Every five years, Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill. The name of the bill is misleading, as it impacts not just farmers, but everyone who eats. That’s all of us.
Portland Tuv Ha’Aretz (a Hazon CSA)
presents a free Farm Bill Teach-In
Wednesday, August 8th
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
at a private home in the Hollywood District, Portland, OR
Come learn more about the Farm Bill and how its policies impact your daily food choices. Nancy Becker, food and nutrition advocate, will give an overview of the Farm Bill and how it affects all citizens, farmers and eaters alike. Nancy, a registered dietician and chair of the Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance, has been advocating for stronger nutrition and anti-hunger policies for many years.
More Than Just Talk: Jewish Drive for ‘Just Farm Bill’
![[Image]](http://www.hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Deborah-300x168.jpg)
Deborah Newbrun, the Bay Area director of Hazon, co-author of the 2000 book “Spirit In Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail.”
By Deborah Newbrun, Hazon Bay Area Director
Originally posted on JWeekly.com
Last week, my colleague Cheryl Cook, Hazon’s COO, stood in the sun on the steps of Capitol Hill with six other Jewish leaders holding jars of sunflower seeds representing 18,000 signatures collected from the American Jewish community on a petition calling for a “Just Farm Bill.” (more…)
Breaking news: House panel begins voting on 5-year farm bill today!
Breaking news!
House panel begins voting on 5-year farm bill this Wednesday, July 11th. The panel finds itself deeply divided between Republicans, who are fighting for cuts to the food stamp program, which has doubled in costs over the past 4 years, and Democrats who strongly believe that any cuts to this program will result in people going hungry. While the Senate passed its version of the five-year farm bill on a bipartisan vote last month, the future is less certain in the House…read on here!
“Farm Bill Programs” (Source: Tim Newcomb)
An interesting article from the Star Tribune, a local paper from the Twin Cities(where Cross-USA Ride will be this weekend!), discusses an initiative, Healthy Food Financing, that, if included in the new farm bill, could have huge impacts on communities everywhere. The initiative, already passed by the Senate, would provide one-time grants and loans to a variety of healthful-food retailers, from full-service supermarkets to farmers markets, that want to set up, renovate or expand outlets in low-income urban or rural communities. This initiative helps boost employment and maintain the vitality of our cities and counties. To read more about this initiative and how its already seen success on smaller levels, click here!
