Tribal Business News’ Post

A recently released House proposal for the overdue 2024 Farm Bill is sparking significant concerns. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack warns the bill, introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Penn.), could cause an impasse due to proposed SNAP cuts and shifting disaster relief control to Congress. The bill could lead to a $30 billion cut to SNAP over the next decade. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, emphasizes the need for bipartisanship: “I'm committed to keeping it that way.” Tribal perspectives highlight the delay's impact on new opportunities for tribal producers. Abi Fain from the Intertribal Agriculture Council hopes to maintain momentum from the 2018 Farm Bill. The Native Farm Bill Coalition appreciates bipartisan efforts but urges more inclusion of tribal priorities. It’s crucial to push for a Farm Bill that supports all communities, including tribal nations. Tribal Business News has the story. #FarmBill #Agriculture #SNAP #USDA #TribalNations #Bipartisanship #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture

5 takeaways from the House farm bill draft   Lawmakers are split over food assistance and climate-smart agriculture proposals, although farm groups praised Republicans' efforts to boost safety net and trade promotion funding. https://lnkd.in/g7QBHv3v

On May 24, after more than 12 hours of debate, the U.S. House of Representatives #Agriculture Committee passed the #Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (H.R. 8467), a.k.a. #farmbill, with a 33-21 vote. All 29 Republican members of the committee and four Democrats voted for it. Partisanship played into debates over spending priorities and the #Nutrition Title. The draft bill includes an increase in reference prices (canola from $20.15/cwt to $23.75), chance to add base acres and #crop insurance incentives. It also increases the #Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) guarantee to 90% of the benchmark revenue (currently 86%) and the maximum ARC payment to 12.5% of the ARC revenue (currently 10%). Democratic amendments pertaining to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and climate-smart #agriculture conservation funding were defeated. The U.S. #Canola Association and other farm groups applauded the House’s draft farm bill, writing to Thompson that numerous provisions “are responsive to the needs and requests” presented to him and his staff over the past 17 months. https://ow.ly/3Pwm50S2vUn Northern Canola Growers Assn

The GAO recently released a report indicating that USDA had to do better with collecting, tracking and sharing information about foreign ownership of agricultural land in America. Glad to see attention being paid to America's farmland - its a vital resource for this nation and who owns it matters! Having sound information is key to informing good public policy. The Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) Survey is our nation’s best source of information of many kinds about agricultural land ownership. But the TOTAL survey was last conducted in 2014 with state-level data for only select states. AFT and our allies have urged Congress to commit at least $15 million in the next Farm Bill to ensure that the next TOTAL survey will give us better information so our nation can protect our agricultural land. Lets hope that Congress shows leadership and makes this happen! #farmland #publicpolicy #nationalsecurity https://lnkd.in/eU3gfei6 https://lnkd.in/esKwREtH

Failure to pass or extend federal farm bill would spell catastrophe, agriculture policy analysts say COLUMBIA, Mo. (KFVS) - As Congress continues hammering out a new federal farm bill, Missouri farmers are hopeful a deal is reached before the new year. The massive policy package is renewed every five years. The last one expired last week. The skirmish among lawmakers in Washington right now is over food assistance programs which account for the vast majority of the farm bill’s spending. “So, if there’s no new bill by the first of January or an extension of the current bill by the first of January, then dairy prices will be snapped back to laws that were first passed in 1949,” said Patrick Westhoff who leads MU’s Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense given the current state of affairs.” Aside from nutrition assistance, the farm bill is designed to maintain America’s agricultural sectors even when markets would not support them. “It’s really meant to stabilize the agriculture industry,” said Doug Doughty, who operates a farm in Livingston County. Westhoff said there’s an incentive on both sides of the political aisle to strike a deal on renewing the farm bill. “I think there’s bipartisan compromise or bipartisan agreement in both houses that doing something is important,” Westhoff said. “What that is, we’re still trying to work out, but I would be surprised if they did at least pass an extension of the current legislation between now and the first of January.” #agri #agriculture #farm #agribusiness #agriculture #farmmachinery #tractor #moderagriculture #sustainableagriculture #sustainablefarming #farming #localagriculture Source: https://lnkd.in/gaVf9T8m

Check out our latest blog post spotlighting NFBC member Oneida Nation in a Mother Jones article titled “Tribal Nations Are Taking Back Their Food Systems” for their success in implementing a self-determination pilot program included in the 2018 Farm Bill. The article features NFBC for their continuous work on Farm Bill legislation and for its commitment to advancing Tribal sovereignty across Indian Country. Food and Agriculture Area Manager Vanessa Miller weighs in on what this success means to her Tribe and what it could do for Tribes in the future. Link below: https://ow.ly/a4b250QGufg "The self-determination pilot, while small, has been a success, Miller says. People appreciate the higher quality of the food and the fact that it comes from local, Indigenous producers. It has also created a stable new market for farmers and ranchers. Already the Oneida farm is making plans to expand its herds. And the pilot has had broader ripple effects. Tribes have been pushing for much wider latitude over USDA programs, and the success of the pilot bolsters their case. Groups such as the Native Farm Bill Coalition want the next farm bill to authorize tribal governments to administer SNAP and other nutrition assistance programs, meat inspections, and conservation programs on their own lands. Granting that authority would go a long way toward advancing tribal sovereignty, Miller argues." Photo source: Mother Jones

#Congress is back from recess and lawmakers are hearing from producers about getting a new #FarmBill passed with the latest deadline looming. North Dakota #farmers were among those who traveled to Washington, D.C., to demand progress. More than two dozen North Dakota Farmers Union members were part of a large contingent getting face-to-face time with federal lawmakers this week. The Farm Bill, last updated in 2018, needs to be reauthorized by the end of the month or elements of the current version will expire. Bob Kuylen, a farmer from the western half of the state, said the uncertainty comes as small-to-mid-sized producers face the prospect of dwindling profits. "Inputs are awful high and we're down there in prices quite a ways," Kuylen pointed out. A glut of crops and other products on the market are resulting in smaller financial returns for the farmers who grow them. The Union said a stronger safety net in a new Farm Bill could make losses easier to absorb. However, with the fall election approaching and a federal budget also needing a vote, complications are mounting in getting the agricultural policy reauthorized. The Farm Bill also funds key initiatives to address hunger relief like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kuylen noted it shows the sweeping policy touches a lot of facets within the food production system, affecting many Americans. "Eighty-two percent of the Farm Bill is nutrition," Kuylen explained. "Farmers get a very small part of the Farm Bill. You know, it covers things like conservation programs." The statistic he cited is reported by the Congressional Research Service. Union voices said the urgency comes as farmers also deal with rising machinery costs and corporate consolidation within agriculture. Last fall, Congress approved a one-year extension of the Farm Bill, prompting fears lawmakers would again let negotiations drag on until the last minute. Disclosure: The North Dakota Farmers Union contributes to our fund for reporting on Rural/Farming issues.

On track to be the most expensive Farm Bill in the country’s history, the approved draft proposes to bolster farm safety net payments for certain commodities, expand eligibility for disaster assistance and increase funding for specialty crops. 🔽 Much more here 🔽 https://ow.ly/22NI50S30sb #foodindustry #foodandbeverage #foodmanufacturing

The Farm Bill is messy and exhausting and SO important.

House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson has introduced a significant $1.5 trillion farm bill aimed at bolstering safety-net programs and supporting our farmers. This package is set to spark a contentious debate, particularly in the Senate, as it crosses key red lines for Democratic leaders. Key Points: 🌟 Increased funding for safety net programs to support farmers facing inflation. 📈 Doubling of funds to help farmers access offshore markets. 🍓 Enhanced support for specialty crops and energy cost reductions. 🔍 Measures to track farmland purchases by foreign entities. However, the bill also introduces provisions limiting future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, stirring opposition from senior Democrats. Despite these challenges, the House draft aims to expand SNAP access, improve anti-hunger initiatives, and remove lifetime bans for individuals with past felony drug convictions. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e9EkGPPs Stay tuned to Farmers Hot Line for more updates as this legislative journey unfolds. #FarmersHotLine #FarmBill #FarmBill2024 #Agriculture #Farming