The Farm Bill: Now Comes the Hard Part
by Brian DeVoreNow that the 2008 Farm Bill is officially law, it’s important to make sure all that work sustainable ag groups like LSP put into some of the legislation’s key components does not go to waste. Talk is cheap in Congress — implementation out here on real farms is what gets things done. The overall legislation is still less than Grade A work, but initiatives like the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) are truly precedent-setting and innovative — two words not usually associated with federal ag legislation. If BFRDP even begins to live up to its billing, this new Farm Bill will begin to make up for all its other shortcomings. To get an idea of what I’m talking about, check out our latest BFRDP fact sheet.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
[...] As this blog has made clear in the past, the 2008 Farm Bill is far from perfect. But buried in the status-quo quagmire are a few gems like the newly revamped Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The USDA will be accepting the next round of CSP applications in early 2009, which isn’t as far off as you think. So now is the time to figure out how your farm can qualify for a program that rewards true land stewardship. Check out LSP’s latest CSP fact sheet for details on how to enroll. Let’s show Washington that there’s a committed constituency for truly progressive public policy like CSP. [...]
December 19th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
[...] For more information on LSP’s federal policy work, including our efforts to make sure the 2008 Farm Bill’s positive elements are implemented fully, contact Adam Warthesen at adamw@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-722-6377. [...]
June 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am
[...] rotations preceded the recent ethanol boom (and will likely outlive any crash in that market). Federal government policy that rewards monocultural row cropping and penalizes diversity can take much of the blame. [...]