Checking In On The Farm Bill

There's been a noticeable silence lately in regards to the progress of the 2007 Farm Bill through the Senate mark-up process, so I thought it was a good time to check in.  Lo and behold, the 2002 Farm Bill expired Sunday, meaning that we are now officially in a lull between two sets of legislation.  At the end of the day, this will have little or no impact on farmers themselves, since the Senate extended the previous legislation in lieu of new language.  But it does mean that the hard work of marking up the omnibus legislation still needs to be done.

This begs the question, to me, of the level of importance being given to this key work in Washington.  While the tone of discussions, particularly public debates, has been passionate and opinionated, the actual urgency of the work appears disconnected.  The Senate, led by Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, has had a September effort in the plans since the beginning of summer.  How did they miss a whole month?  What international crisis has distracted the Senate from addressing this scheduled event?  Clinton's Global Initiative Forum?  The War in Iraq?

Surely the resignation of Mike Johanns as the Secretary of Agriculture couldn't have derailed a scheduled debate in the Senate?  And yet if you look at the calendar of events that has riddled the Farm bill since early July this is perhaps the only event that couldn't have been anticipated in Washington, at least to the outsider's eye.  According to a Washington Post article, it's unlikely to have had any impact:

Carol Tucker Foreman, a fellow in food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, said escaping tense congressional negotiations, which are unlikely to yield substantial success for the USDA or the administration, was no mistake. "If I was planning to move to Nebraska, I would think this was a good time to do it."

The version of the Farm Bill that came out of the House of Representatives is status quo through and through.  There is still some hope that a version that comes out of the Senate will address serious, needed reforms as it relates to crop subsidies and conservation.  This is critical work in our country, especially when you consider that food is one of the most primary needs we have, and the preservation of the land that produces that food is key to our long-term survival.

I urge you to contact your Senator and let them know how you feel about this Farm Bill.  It is nothing less than the driving force behind the quality and the provenance of the food that will likely be on your table over the next five years, if you live in the United States (and in many cases around the globe).  Tell your Senator you expect them to take this discussion seriously, that they need to be deeply informed about the issues, and that the American people are waiting for Washington to product a Food And Farm Bill, legislation that addresses community, rural development, organics, and conservation. 

Agribusiness has kept this legislation in their back pocket long enough -- it's time you speak out and cast a vote with your voice to end the absurdities in the Farm Bill and return it to its rightful place as the series of laws that govern the stewardship of our land and the protection of those who tend it.  Other great places to keep abreast on the blow-by-blow in the Farm Bill debate are Blog for Rural America, Farm Policy, and Mulch.