What it is Why it Matters How to Engage Amalie Lipstreu Policy Program Coordinator

Transcription

1 Opportunities For the Next Farm Bill What it is Why it Matters How to Engage Amalie Lipstreu Policy Program Coordinator

2 Education: Conference, farm tours, workshops, webinars, Good Earth Guide Grower Support: Begin Farming Ohio, Apprenticeship program, technical assistance Sustainable Agriculture Policy Organic Certification

3 Why We are Here We believe in the importance of: Local and Regional Food Systems Beginning Farmers, Small to Mid-scale and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Research organic and sustainable, plant breeding Conservation Other you tell us GMO? FSMA? Crop insurance?

4 What is the Farm Bill? About every five years, Congress develops a massive piece of legislation known as the farm bill" which sets the rules of the road for our nation s food and farm system. The farm bill contains policies, programs, and funding everything from rules around who is eligible for a farm loan to funding for food assistance for lowincome families.

5 Why it began

6 The Farm Bill Impacts

7 Titles & Sample Programs 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/SNAP Title 5: Credit Ex. Farm Loans Title 6: Rural Development Value Added Agriculture 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

8 Financial Breakdown

9 Move From Direct Payments to Crop Insurance Subsidy

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11 Key Players Congressional committees: House Committee on Agriculture Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Full Congress The President Grassroots voices: YOU! Key Ohio legislators: Sen. Sherrod Brown Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH 7) Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH 11)

12 Local Food Farms and Jobs Act Champion in Congress Local and regional food system creation = jobs Address production, aggregation processing, marketing and distribution needs. Improve healthy food access Support for farmers and the agricultural economy Senator Sherrod Brown

13 Show Me the Money

14 The Big Picture

15 Local Food Wins in the 2014 Farm Bill SNAP participant access to farmers markets, CSA s and direct markets improved $20 million in ANNUAL funding for SNAP incentive programs Community Food Projects funding went from $5-10 million ANNUALLY with the grant term in creased from three to five years Whole Farm Revenue Program insurance available for diversified producers Improvements to crop insurance for organic farmers* Stable funding for the National Organic Cost Share Certification Program

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17 Ohio Projects

18 What are the challenges for local and regional food systems? Access to markets? Marketing of your products? Technical assistance for new value added enterprises? Access to financing/capital? Food Safety? What is working well?

19 OEFFA Begin Farming Ohio Apprenticeship Program Beginner s Farm Planning Course Scale Up Workshops Mentoring Program Beginning Farmer Field Days Beginning Farmer Facebook Group Production Information Line Land Access Programs

20 Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Are credit needs being met? What are the challenges/barriers? What is working well? What are the barriers to land access? What are the most important training needs?

21 Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Funding USDA Competitive Grant Research Program Funding Trends (Fiscal Years )

22 Research and Education What should be some areas of focus for the Research Title of the next farm bill? Organic transition? Integrated pest management? Soil health and resilience? What are your greatest challenges?

23 Conservation EQIP- Environmental Quality Incentives Program CRP-Conservation Reserve Program Organic Field Buffer Program Conservation Stewardship Program

24 We Want to Hear From You Today- What are your ideas, concerns and solutions? What is working well? - important to acknowledge what is working well so we don t go backwards, and to thank our champions How can we level-the playingfield for beginning, small and mid-scale producers?

25 Open Discussion

26 Stay in the Game! Ongoing- Stay in touch with your ideas, questions and input and talk with other groups Next Year- help us make sure Congress knows how important these issues are and stands up for sustainable ag, local food, and much more! Make calls, share actions, tell your story, stay connected If you re not at the table- you might be on the menu!

27 Information and Resources Up to date information in our monthly policy bulletins, events. Amalie Lipstreu- Policy Program Coordinator, (614) National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition NSAC