Salazar staff: Farm bill boosts farmers

MONTROSE  — Congressman John Salazar’s staff discussed the 2008 Farm Bill along the Western Slope Wednesday, teaming up with other area agencies.

“(Salazar) is proud of what happened with the bill,” said Richard Baca, regional director for Salazar. “It’s not a perfect bill, but ... it provides a lot for the American farmer.”

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (also known as the Farm Bill) was enacted June 19, after the president’s veto was overridden by the House and Senate.

The bill governs the bulk of federal agriculture and related programs for the next five years. The 2008 bill has 15 titles, compared to the cooresponding 2002 bill’s 10 titles. New titles include horticulture and organic agriculture, livestock, crop insurance, commodity futures, and trade and taxes.

Salazar was not able to attend Wednesday’s presentation at the Holiday Inn Express in Montrose due to a family emergency. However, two members of his staff supplied Salazar’s points on the bill. Members of the Colorado Farm Bureau and Farm Service Agency also spoke and answered questions.

The current bill accounts for 1.9 percent of the total United States budget. It calls for $307 billion to be spent over the next five years; two-thirds of that goes towards nutrition.

“This bill was really about reform,” said Landon Gates, Colorado Farm Bureau public policy director.

Several changes were made to the Food Stamp Program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including inflation adjustments and added benefits. Other promotional programs, such as farmers’ markets and school meals, are also included in the nutritional title.

Mentioned in the 2002 bill, but never implemented, is the country of origin labeling. After several deadline extensions, producers are now required to label where their products come from in terms of born, raised and slaughtered.

This prevision will help citizens’ confidence in buying U.S. products and help ensure food safety, said Beth Elliott, Salazar’s legislative assistant for agriculture.

Crop insurance is another addition in the 2008 bill and includes disaster assistance funding. Previously, Congress would have to be approached for disaster funding. In the 2008 bill, permanent funding is available for disasters if the farmer has insurance, Gates said.

The ACRE, a revenue-based counter-cyclical program, is also new. It’s a one-time option to participate, and producers are locked into it for the life of the bill, Gates said. Farmers can also choose to use the traditional commodity programs.

The bill also adds $230 million for research for specialty crops, including plant breeding, and pest and disease control.

The meeting was a method to educate locals about the bill and the incentives involved, which include conservation and alternative energy. There is also a young farmers program to push younger people into the field.

Elliott said that Salazar introduced H.R. 1929: Save the Family Farm and Ranch Act of 2007 to help relieve the burden of the death tax on family farmers and ranchers. Another method to entice the younger generation to maintain the family farm.

In the U.S., 12 percent of farmers and ranchers have to sell part or all of the estate to pay the tax, said Troy Bredenkamp, executive vice president of the Colorado Farm Bureau.

Public education about the bill is expected to take place within the different agencies, said Lewis Frank, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency. He said the best place to obtain information is at local agencies.