WASHINGTON, DC-Following final passage of the Farm Bill, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee applauded the bipartisan Farm Bill that will now go to the President for his signature. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Casey played a key role in passing provisions vital to Pennsylvania for dairy farms, specialty crops like apples and mushrooms, conservation programs and nutrition programs.
Senator Casey released the following statement:
“This Farm Bill is a big victory for Pennsylvania. I am pleased that as a new member of the Agriculture Committee I was able to make sure Pennsylvania’s interests were reflected in this legislation that will set U.S. agriculture policy for the next five years.
“Pennsylvania dairy farmers and specialty crop growers will get some relief because of this Farm Bill. Conservation programs, especially in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, have big wins in this bill that I was proud to help secure.
“The Farm Bill doesn’t only benefit agriculture. The bill includes key improvements for nutrition programs like the school fruit and vegetable snack program, for the one in ten Pennsylvanians who are on food stamps and for food banks like the ones throughout Pennsylvania that have faced shortages during this economic downturn.
“The Farm Bill includes historic improvements for Pennsylvania’s struggling dairy farmers by strengthening the safety net in the MILC program and adding a feed adjuster to provide significant help with the cost of production. The feed adjuster provision is an idea that I have worked on with Senator Leahy, Senator Specter and Members of the House.
“I’m very pleased that amendments I worked on in Committee and on the floor -- mandatory price reporting to help dairy farmers run their businesses effectively, including feed and fuel costs in the so-called make allowances for dairy farmers as well as improvements for specialty crops, conservation programs and nutrition programs -- were included in the final bill.
“Reforms were also made to save money and close loopholes while maintaining a real safety net for farmers when they need one.
“I urge the President to sign this legislation. If he doesn’t, we will override his veto.”
The Farm Bill sets U.S. agriculture policy for the next five years. President Bush has threatened to veto the Farm Bill. However, the legislation passed the House and Senate by majorities large enough to override a presidential veto.
Below are summaries of other key areas that Senator Casey worked to include in the Farm Bill.
Specialty Crops Title: For the first time, specialty crops (largely fruits and vegetables) have received a title in the Farm Bill. Pennsylvania’s main production crops are specialty crops. By focusing more attention on specialty crops, Pennsylvania will benefit. This non-subsidy assistance includes trade assistance, research and federal commodity purchases.
Senator Casey also passed an amendment to provide more equity for specialty crop growers (specifically apple growers) to participate in conservation programs.
Conservation, Open Space and Chesapeake Bay Conservation: The Farm Bill provides greater opportunities for farmers in the Chesapeake Bay to become partners in restoring this tremendous natural resource by helping farmers undertake conservation projects that will improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Farm Bill also doubles funding for the Farmland Protection Program, which is critical for helping states like Pennsylvania keep farm land in agricultural uses and preventing sprawl.
Senator Casey secured $188 million in mandatory funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to bring the total new funding in the bill to $438 million. This watershed encompasses 41 Pennsylvania counties. This funding will help farmers meet state and federal laws to restore the Bay.
To help preserve open-space, Senator Casey helped secure an increase in funding for the Community Forest Program. This program provides grants to local and county governments to purchase privately-owned forest land that would otherwise be developed. This is an important tool to help communities manage or prevent sprawl.
Changes were also made in the Farm Bill to increase funding for conservation programs and to make conservation programs more efficient, effective and relevant to farmers.
Dairy Farmers: Senator Casey’s Mandatory Price Reporting and Marketing Transparency Amendment would help solve the problem of outdated dairy pricing. Currently, the system is extremely complex and there is not enough transparency for dairy farmers. The amendment, similar to what is used in livestock markets, would give farmers real-time reporting and data publication on a daily basis. Small processors, those processors producing one million pounds of milk or less a year, are exempt.
Senator Casey also successfully added an amendment that requires the USDA to determine the current cost of feed and fuel for dairy farmers. The Farm-Level Feed and Fuel Index for Make Allowances Amendment would make sure that dairy farmers' true cost of production is considered before USDA allows dairy processors to lower prices paid to farmers in order to cover their own input costs.
And Senator Casey’s amendment was adopted to improve dairy advance pricing for Class II skim milk.
Nutrition Programs: The Farm Bill makes substantial investments in domestic food assistance programs. It improves food stamp benefits for the most vulnerable families in our country. In Pennsylvania, one in ten people are currently on food stamps.
Specifically, the Farm Bill would increase the minimum benefit and eliminate the cap on the child care deduction; promote savings by no longer counting retirement and education savings accounts towards the asset limit; increase funding to $1.256 billion to help food banks meet increasing demand and rising food prices; and dramatically increase the availability of the Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in low-income elementary schools in all 50 states.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program: Providing healthy food to schools with a high percentage of students in the free and reduced price lunch program will help ensure students are ready to learn in the classroom. This program also benefits the fruit and vegetable producers in Pennsylvania. The Farm Bill includes a funding increase to $1 billion over ten years to extend the program to every state in the country. Pennsylvania will receive $7 million a year in funding for the program.
Colony Collapse Disorder: The Farm Bill includes, as a high priority research item, an authorization for a $20 million a year study into the growing problem of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Food Stamps: Increases monthly benefits and increases asset limits so people do not have to go further into poverty in order to be eligible for the food stamp program.
Rural Hospitals: Provisions in the Farm Bill will also help to rehabilitate and improve hospitals in rural areas.
Reform: This Farm Bill makes real reforms to curb abuses and save money while targeting programs to farmers who need them. For the first time ever, the Farm Bill will include an income cap for farm program payments to farmers. It also includes over $300 million in cuts to direct payments, reforms the marketing loan program to avoid abuse and closes loopholes and reduces program abuses (for example, the Farm Bill eliminates the possibility of program payments being made to deceased individuals).
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Senator Casey released the following statement:
“This Farm Bill is a big victory for Pennsylvania. I am pleased that as a new member of the Agriculture Committee I was able to make sure Pennsylvania’s interests were reflected in this legislation that will set U.S. agriculture policy for the next five years.
“Pennsylvania dairy farmers and specialty crop growers will get some relief because of this Farm Bill. Conservation programs, especially in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, have big wins in this bill that I was proud to help secure.
“The Farm Bill doesn’t only benefit agriculture. The bill includes key improvements for nutrition programs like the school fruit and vegetable snack program, for the one in ten Pennsylvanians who are on food stamps and for food banks like the ones throughout Pennsylvania that have faced shortages during this economic downturn.
“The Farm Bill includes historic improvements for Pennsylvania’s struggling dairy farmers by strengthening the safety net in the MILC program and adding a feed adjuster to provide significant help with the cost of production. The feed adjuster provision is an idea that I have worked on with Senator Leahy, Senator Specter and Members of the House.
“I’m very pleased that amendments I worked on in Committee and on the floor -- mandatory price reporting to help dairy farmers run their businesses effectively, including feed and fuel costs in the so-called make allowances for dairy farmers as well as improvements for specialty crops, conservation programs and nutrition programs -- were included in the final bill.
“Reforms were also made to save money and close loopholes while maintaining a real safety net for farmers when they need one.
“I urge the President to sign this legislation. If he doesn’t, we will override his veto.”
The Farm Bill sets U.S. agriculture policy for the next five years. President Bush has threatened to veto the Farm Bill. However, the legislation passed the House and Senate by majorities large enough to override a presidential veto.
Below are summaries of other key areas that Senator Casey worked to include in the Farm Bill.
Specialty Crops Title: For the first time, specialty crops (largely fruits and vegetables) have received a title in the Farm Bill. Pennsylvania’s main production crops are specialty crops. By focusing more attention on specialty crops, Pennsylvania will benefit. This non-subsidy assistance includes trade assistance, research and federal commodity purchases.
Senator Casey also passed an amendment to provide more equity for specialty crop growers (specifically apple growers) to participate in conservation programs.
Conservation, Open Space and Chesapeake Bay Conservation: The Farm Bill provides greater opportunities for farmers in the Chesapeake Bay to become partners in restoring this tremendous natural resource by helping farmers undertake conservation projects that will improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Farm Bill also doubles funding for the Farmland Protection Program, which is critical for helping states like Pennsylvania keep farm land in agricultural uses and preventing sprawl.
Senator Casey secured $188 million in mandatory funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to bring the total new funding in the bill to $438 million. This watershed encompasses 41 Pennsylvania counties. This funding will help farmers meet state and federal laws to restore the Bay.
To help preserve open-space, Senator Casey helped secure an increase in funding for the Community Forest Program. This program provides grants to local and county governments to purchase privately-owned forest land that would otherwise be developed. This is an important tool to help communities manage or prevent sprawl.
Changes were also made in the Farm Bill to increase funding for conservation programs and to make conservation programs more efficient, effective and relevant to farmers.
Dairy Farmers: Senator Casey’s Mandatory Price Reporting and Marketing Transparency Amendment would help solve the problem of outdated dairy pricing. Currently, the system is extremely complex and there is not enough transparency for dairy farmers. The amendment, similar to what is used in livestock markets, would give farmers real-time reporting and data publication on a daily basis. Small processors, those processors producing one million pounds of milk or less a year, are exempt.
Senator Casey also successfully added an amendment that requires the USDA to determine the current cost of feed and fuel for dairy farmers. The Farm-Level Feed and Fuel Index for Make Allowances Amendment would make sure that dairy farmers' true cost of production is considered before USDA allows dairy processors to lower prices paid to farmers in order to cover their own input costs.
And Senator Casey’s amendment was adopted to improve dairy advance pricing for Class II skim milk.
Nutrition Programs: The Farm Bill makes substantial investments in domestic food assistance programs. It improves food stamp benefits for the most vulnerable families in our country. In Pennsylvania, one in ten people are currently on food stamps.
Specifically, the Farm Bill would increase the minimum benefit and eliminate the cap on the child care deduction; promote savings by no longer counting retirement and education savings accounts towards the asset limit; increase funding to $1.256 billion to help food banks meet increasing demand and rising food prices; and dramatically increase the availability of the Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program in low-income elementary schools in all 50 states.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program: Providing healthy food to schools with a high percentage of students in the free and reduced price lunch program will help ensure students are ready to learn in the classroom. This program also benefits the fruit and vegetable producers in Pennsylvania. The Farm Bill includes a funding increase to $1 billion over ten years to extend the program to every state in the country. Pennsylvania will receive $7 million a year in funding for the program.
Colony Collapse Disorder: The Farm Bill includes, as a high priority research item, an authorization for a $20 million a year study into the growing problem of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Food Stamps: Increases monthly benefits and increases asset limits so people do not have to go further into poverty in order to be eligible for the food stamp program.
Rural Hospitals: Provisions in the Farm Bill will also help to rehabilitate and improve hospitals in rural areas.
Reform: This Farm Bill makes real reforms to curb abuses and save money while targeting programs to farmers who need them. For the first time ever, the Farm Bill will include an income cap for farm program payments to farmers. It also includes over $300 million in cuts to direct payments, reforms the marketing loan program to avoid abuse and closes loopholes and reduces program abuses (for example, the Farm Bill eliminates the possibility of program payments being made to deceased individuals).
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