Farm Bill 101 for Livestock Farmers & Ranchers

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- FEBRUARY 27, 2018 - Farm Bill 101 for Livestock Farmers & Ranchers - PRESENTED BY -

1 - FEBRUARY 27, Farm Bill 101 for Livestock Farmers & Ranchers - PRESENTED BY - Alyssa Charney Senior Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition - HOSTED BY -

Introductions Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for the safe and humane production of meat, milk, and eggs.

2 Introductions Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for the safe and humane production of meat, milk, and eggs. Larissa McKenna Humane Farming Program Director lmckenna@foodanimalconcerns.org Website: foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer/ FACT s services for livestock and poultry farmers include: - Fund-a-Farmer Grants - Conference scholarships - Free webinars - Humane Farming Mentorship Program

3 Our Presenter Alyssa Charney Senior Policy Specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

4 THE 2018 FARM BILL AND SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK UPDATES FROM WASHINGTON, DC February 2018 Alyssa Charney, NSAC Senior Policy Specialist

5 About NSAC NSAC is a grassroots alliance of 120 member organizations (and hundreds more partners and allies) from around the country working together to improve federal food & farm policy for 30 years!

6 Our Members

How NSAC Works FARMERS & STAKEHOLDERS Share their experiences,

local groups MEMBER GROUPS Collect input from farmers &

NSAC Helps members: identify top priority sustainable food & farm

CONGRESS & FED AGENCIES NSAC brings directly and thru members

7 How NSAC Works FARMERS & STAKEHOLDERS Share their experiences, ideas, challenges related to federal policy, programs, rules with local groups MEMBER GROUPS Collect input from farmers & stakeholders as well as their own experiences, bring asks to NSAC NSAC Helps members: identify top priority sustainable food & farm policy issues nationwide, set campaign strategies, campaign to win! CONGRESS & FED AGENCIES NSAC brings directly and thru members priority asks to Congress and agencies like USDA to improve federal food & farm policy

Today s Workshop PART 1 Farm Bill 101 + the big picture PART 2 2018 Farm Bill: What s at Stake for

8 Today s Workshop PART 1 Farm Bill the big picture PART Farm Bill: What s at Stake for sustainable livestock? PART 3 Advocacy for busy people (how to impact the farm bill for the better!)

9 Part I: Farm Bill 101 & The Big Picture

10 Policy 101 Refresher Elections: Getting people who care about sustainable agriculture into office. (Note: NSAC does not work on electoral campaigns and is nonpartisan) Authorization: How a bill becomes a law, i.e. supporting good legislation, stopping bad legislation (developing programs, winning $$$, making changes to policies/programs to reflect farmers and communities changing needs) Appropriations: Ensuring funding goes where it s needed Implementation: Ensuring programs and policies work as intended at the agencies and in the field Evaluation: An ongoing process!

11 So let s talk Farm Bill

12 Historical Context

13 The Farm Bill is Comprehensive bill that impacts federal food and farm policy Reauthorized every 5-7 years First farm bill passed in 1933 Last farm bill passed Feb 2014 Almost $1 trillion (over 10 years) Everything from conservation to rural development to organic research and farmers markets

14 The Farm Bill Influences What is produced How it s produced By whom is it produced What s done with those products and where are they sold Who can afford and access those products Farmer livelihoods, the health of our environment, local economies, and public health

15 What s in the 2014 Farm Bill? Title 1: Commodities Ex. Price Loss Coverage Title 2: Conservation Ex. EQIP; CSP; CRP; ACEP Title 3: Trade Ex. International Food Aid Title 4: Nutrition Ex. Food Stamps Title 5: Credit Ex. Farm Loans Title 6: Rural Development Value Added Agriculture; Rural Microenterprise Development Title 7: Research & Extension Ex. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Title 8: Forestry Ex. Healthy Forests Reserve Program Title 9: Energy Ex. Rural Energy for America Title 10: Specialty Crops & Horticulture Ex. FMLFPP; NOCCSP; SCBG Title 11: Crop Insurance Ex. Organic Price Elections Title 12: Miscellaneous Ex. Outreach to Minority and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers

16 How the Pie Got Sliced! 2014 Farm Bill Spending Overview Conservation 6% Crop Insurance 8% Commodities 5% Other 1% Nutrition Commodities Crop Insurance Conservation Other Nutrition 80% Source: Congressional Research Service

17 THE ONE PERCENT % Everything included in the ENTIRETY of these titles: Trade, Credit, Research, Rural Development, Forestry, Energy, Horticulture, Misc., including: Food Insecurity and Nutrition Incentives Program Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Value-Added Producer Grant Program Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged & Veteran Farmers and Ranchers National Organic Certification Cost Share Program

18 How Does a Farm Bill Get Passed?

19 Part II: The 2018 Farm Bill: What s at Stake for sustainable livestock?

20 Farm Bill expires on September 30, Farm Bill Considerations House and Senate Agriculture Committees have held field and committee hearings Members of Congress introducing Marker bills Agriculture Committee farm bill mark-up pending Lots of other pressing issues in Congress this year Election year politics?? Chances of passing a farm bill on time

21 Issues at Play Fixes to farm commodity programs Block granting nutrition programs Protecting crop insurance subsidies Increasing the CRP acreage cap Consolidating programs Paying for "stranded programs"

22 Stranded Programs Programs that Expire Sept. 2018: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers (2501) Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Value-Added Producer Grants Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Organic Agriculture Research and Education National Organic Cost-share Certification

24 Comprehensive forward looking vision Overarching Recommendations An Agenda for the 2018 Farm Bill Single comprehensive bill, no cuts to SNAP, protect/fund Stranded programs, real reform - payment limitation 5 Major Priorities: Increasing Opportunity: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advancing Land Stewardship: Comprehensive Conservation Title Reform Investing in Regional Food Economies: New Markets and Jobs Securing Seeds for the Future: Public Plant Breeding Research & Development Aligning Risk Management, Conservation and Family Farming: Crop Insurance Reform Outlines positions on other key issues Racial equity, urban agriculture, competition, commodities, organics, sustainable livestock and more included throughout

25 Issue: Conservation

26 Issue: Conservation Examples of programs and policies focused on conservation in the farm bill: Programs that provide farmers with resources ($ and technical assistance) to practice good resource and land stewardship (cover crops, water conservation, etc) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Set-asides within these programs include special funding for key groups of farmers: organic, farmers of color, beginners, and more Policies that encourage basic conservation in exchange for support (like crop insurance) Conservation Compliance Provisions Sodsaver (National Sodsaver Bill Introduced in House and Senate)

27 Issue: Conservation Conservation Opportunities for Sustainable Livestock CSP Supplemental Payment for Management Intensive Rotational Grazing EQIP livestock set aside/ high level activities Working lands conservation bills (CSP, EQIP) coming soon in House and Senate! Measurement and evaluation of conservation outcomes Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act (HR 4751) Protecting native prairie/grazing habitat American Prairies Conservation Act (S 1913/ HR 3939)

28 Issue: Local/Regional Food/Farms Photo credit: USDA

29 Issue: Local/Regional Food/Farms Examples of programs and policies focused on local and regional food / farm systems in the farm bill: Programs that provide $ for farmers and/or nonprofits to launch or expand ventures, expand access Value-Added Producer Grant Program Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Policies within broader programs that support investments in local/regional food/farms Ensuring key infrastructure needs (like cold storage or business plan support or marketing materials) are eligible for existing credit / loan programs Prioritizing local food within healthy food access programs

30 Issue: Local/Regional Food/Farms Opportunities to ADVANCE and IMPROVE local and regional food / farm systems issues/programs through farm bill advocacy: Increased funding and support for farmers and organizations looking to connect the dots and build up local/regional food systems Improved access to healthy fresh food for everyone, especially those in need Help for farmers in complying with new food safety rules to reach new markets The Local FARMS Act: introduced in the House and Senate! (S / H.R. 3941)

31 Local FARMS Act What s in the Local FARMS Act for Sustainable Livestock? A new comprehensive and streamlined local and regional food economies development program Stable funding for the Organic Cost Share Certification Program at $11.5 million per year. A new Food Safety Certification Cost-share Program funded at $10 million per year to help family farmers comply with new food safety rules and regulations by upgrading on-farm food safety infrastructure and becoming food safety certified. Expanding the ability of Rural Development and Farm Service Agency grant and loan programs to be used to support livestock, dairy and poultry regional supply chain infrastructure. And more!

32 Issue: Sustainable Agriculture Research Photo credit: Edmund Frost

33 Issue: Sustainable Agriculture Research Examples of programs and policies focused on sustainable agriculture research in the farm bill: Programs that provide $ for research efforts by farmers, academic researchers, and organizations Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) Organic Research Programs (OREI, others) Organic Research Act of 2018 introduced in House and Senate! Language and priorities directing research programs to focus on specific needs / types of research Seed Breeding and Research

34 How does OREI support sustainable livestock? Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) Only federal program focused on organic research Funding expires at the end of the 2014 Farm Bill Organic Research Act increases/ provides permanent funding for OREI Projects fund research, education, and extension projects to enhance the ability of organic producers/ processors to grow and market high quality organic agriculture products Examples: One-two punch for Organic Poultry Processing: Knocking out Foodborne Pathogens with Plant Derived Antimicrobials and Farmer Training Economic and environmental sustainability of heifer development strategies in pasture-based organic dairy systems Improving the Prevention, Management and Treatment of Lameness on Organic Dairy Farms Integrated Research and Extension Planning - Organic Swine Understanding Parasite Resistance in Organic Livestock and Using a Systems Approach for Control

35 Issue: Beginning Farmers

36 Issue: Beginning Farmers Examples of programs and policies focused on beginning farmers in the farm bill: Programs that provide $ for training, technical assistance, and other hands-on support for beginners Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Policies that help ensure beginning farmers get a fair shot at success Set-asides within programs (including loans, conservation, rural development, and more!) for beginners, including farmers of color, women, and military vets Crop insurance premium discounts for beginning farmers

37 Issue: Beginning Farmers Opportunities to ADVANCE and IMPROVE beginning farmer issues/programs through farm bill advocacy: Increase funding for BFR training, assistance and support ensure BFRs everywhere have access to business and farm skills training, credit, land, and everything else they need Increased emphasis within programs (including BFRDP) on land transfer and succession planning Advance equity set-asides and tools like advance payments help make sure historically marginalized communities can enter farming and succeed on a level playing field Beginning farmer marker bill introduced in the HOUSE Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (BFROA) of 2017

38 The Beginning Farmer Marker Bill Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (H.R.4316) Policy solutions to ensure that the 2018 Farm Bill is a farm bill for the future Congressional Champions: Tim Walz (MN), Colin Peterson (MN), Jeff Fortenberry (NE), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY), Jim McGovern (MA), Kurt Shrader (OR), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Tim Ryan (OH)

39 Issue: Crop Insurance and Commodities Photo credit: USDA

40 Issue: Crop Insurance and Commodities Examples of programs and policies focused on crop insurance and commodities in the farm bill: Crop insurance options that specifically help sustainable farmers Whole Farm Revenue Insurance (livestock, diversified farms) Organic Price Elections Policies that help ensure support goes where it s most needed Payment Caps and Means Testing

41 Issue: Crop Insurance and Commodities Opportunities to ADVANCE and IMPROVE crop insurance and commodity issues/programs through farm bill advocacy: Better options for specialty and organic producers Improved coordination between crop insurance and conservation Better targeting of subsidies to improve delivery and public benefit Crop Insurance Modernization Act introduced in House, others coming soon

42 Overall Issues Overall Issues and Opportunities Stranded programs if Congress doesn t finish a bill on time, some programs could lose funding Cuts to one area impact others too these issues are all connected! We don t want to lose this opportunity to make progress - the farm bill comes around only every 5 or so years Opportunities We have a chance to make progress towards more sustainable, equitable food system!

44 Part III: Advocacy for Busy People

45 Why My Advocacy Matters If you aren t speaking up for yourself, someone else is speaking for you Policy sets the rules of the road for just about everything in our food and farm system Want to see changes in that system? Policy is just one means to get there

46 Key Farm Bill Phases to Anticipate

47 It Starts with Listening LEARN: Who represents you? 2 Senators, 1 Representative, each sits on multiple cmtes LISTEN: What are your MoCs supporting /opposing? Sign up for their newsletter Follow on Facebook and/or Twitter! See recently sponsored bills (by issue area), voting record, committee lists, much more

48 Educating your MoCs SHAKE hands Introduce yourself to field office staff, not just MoCs SEND invites Invite MoCs (and their staff!) to your workshops, trainings, conferences, and field days SHARE news Win a grant? Share the news with your MoCs field team! SHOW up Attend Town Halls, listening sessions, coffee chats (also in-district and DC meetings!)

49 Making the ask First anything you can do is helpful. Informed and engaged PEOPLE are critical to making change. There s no silver bullet or quick fix in policy advocacy!

50 So I ve got about 90 What s worth your 90 seconds? seconds. Anything with a clear ask and a clear target Anything that will amplify an issue in your community (and a solution) Example: calling your legislator! Calls take 90 seconds You can call the DC office Write a simple script Offices tally and monitor #s! Calls > petitions or social media

51 What Can I Do Right Now? ASK MoCs to cosponsor marker bills make a call! Capitol Switchboard: (202) I am a constituent and a voter. (tell em if you re a farmer!) I support local farmers, and I want good food in my community. I am asking [YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS] to please co-sponsor The Local FARMS Act (Senate: S.1947 or House: H.R.3941) and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (House: H.R. 4316) today!

52 What Can I Do Right Now? SHARE information and action opportunities with others to amplify the message! Encourage others to make a call / send an too! Include info in your newsletter, listserv, etc Look for action opportunities from groups you trust local, state, national amplify your ask by joining up with others! Be an ally: broaden your circle!

53 Stay in Touch with NSAC! Website: Facebook: Alyssa Charney, Senior Policy Specialist

54 Questions?

Ahead for Turkeys March 14: Goat Herding

April 11: Raising Pigs in an Agroforestry

55 Connect with FACT! Upcoming *free* webinars March 6: Planning Ahead for Turkeys March 14: Goat Herding Basics March 21: Livestock Guardian Dogs 101 April 11: Raising Pigs in an Agroforestry System foodanimalconcernstrust.org/webinars/ Grants, Scholarships, Mentorship & More! Sign up for foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer/ Join us on social media

FEDERAL FOOD AND FARM POLICY FARM BILL STRATEGY AND ACTION

FEDERAL FOOD AND FARM POLICY FARM BILL STRATEGY AND ACTION Sarah Hackney and Wes King, NSAC About NSAC Thanks, folks. NSAC: a grassroots alliance of over 100 member organizations from around the country