Washington, DC, Jan 02, 2013 — Tucked into the fiscal package passed by Congress last night is a nine-month extension of the farm bill. The massive five-year farm bill expired last fall when the House wouldn't vote on a new version passed by the Senate.

This extension includes a safety net for dairy farmers. But it axes many popular programs.  Go to full article

Jan 01, 2013 — Updated 3:25pm: The Senate passed a limited nine-month extension of the 2008-2012 farm bill. It avoids the "dairy cliff" (see below) and preserves the older MILC dairy price support program. But it cuts many popular programs, including disaster insurance, conservation, and organic certification support.

Read this blog post at our new farm and food blog, The Dirt, for the latest:

http://blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org/thedirt/2013/01/01/farm-bill-update-many-disappointed-farmers/

The US Congress failed to pass a new Farm Bill by the end of the year. But that doesn't mean milk prices are going to double immediately, as some had feared.

The House and Senate Agriculture Committees had a deal in place Monday to extend the 2008 farm bill for another nine months. But the agreement never came to the House floor for a vote. House leaders balked at a new safety net for dairy farmers that would restrict the milk supply if prices fell below a certain level.  Go to full article

Dec 31, 2012 — What would a New Year's Eve be without a look back at the old year?

NCPR's two veteran reporters, Brian Mann and David Sommerstein, joined Martha Foley to consider the big stories of 2012, most of which are already projecting their influence into the coming year.  Go to full article

Dec 04, 2012 — One big item caught up in gridlock created by the current budget debate, with its "fiscal cliff" threat, is the federal farm bill.

Most farmers are still covered by crop insurance and other programs until next planting season, but that's not true of dairy.

Dairy farmers now have no safety net if milk prices fall. And with feed prices soaring, many feel they're falling off a cliff of their own.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Oct 02, 2012 — Yesterday when you woke up, you may not have felt different. But farm country did. The federal farm bill expired because Congress wasn't able to pass a new one by the September 30th deadline.

The farm bill is huge. It funds everything from food stamps to wetlands restoration to school nutrition - in addition to helping to pay for commodities like corn, soybeans, milk, and cheese.

So now that there's no farm bill, it's hard to know what's changed. David Sommerstein joins us to sort through it all.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Sep 21, 2012 — U.S. House Speaker John Boehner officially confirmed Thursday that there will be no vote on the 2012 Farm Bill before the November elections. The House agriculture committee passed a bi-partisan farm bill last June. And the Senate approved a farm bill last spring. Boehner told reporters the full House would deal with it after the elections.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Jul 31, 2012 — U.S. House Republicans have gotten themselves in a tight spot with the 2012 Farm Bill and they can count the New York Farm Bureau among those who are concerned. The Farm Bill is reauthorized about every five years. The Senate has already passed its 2012 Bill. The House Agriculture committee also passed a version of the farm bill. But Republican leaders in the House have not been willing to bring it to the floor.

Instead, they've been pushing for a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill. Julie Grant reports about the latest politicking, and what it might mean for New York farmers.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Jun 07, 2012 — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is fighting to stop cuts to the food stamp program. The Senate is currently debating a version of the 2012 Farm Bill that would cut food stamps by $4.5 billion over 10 years. Julie Grant reports.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, May 02, 2012 — The 2012 Farm Bill passed through the Senate Agriculture Committee last week, much more quickly than insiders had expected. The bill cuts agriculture spending by $23 billion, by getting rid of program that pays some farmers simply for growing commodities, things like corn, wheat, and soy. Instead of sending farmers a direct payment, it will spend more money subsidizing their crop insurance. Some New York farm leaders say the shift will be good for New York farmers. But critics say the crop insurance is just another handout to big corporate farms.
Julie Grant reports.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Apr 27, 2012 — The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee approved the Farm Bill Thursday, by a vote of 16 to 5. The bill is expected to cut agricultural spending by almost $25 billion over the next decade.

It ends direct payments to farmers, and replaces them with federal crop insurance. The farm bill also authorizes federal nutrition programs, such as food stamps. Those programs will see a $4 billion cut over the next decade in the Senate bill.

That's a major reason why New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand voted against the bill yesterday.  Go to full article