ACTION ALERT: Support Beginning Farmers in the 2007 Farm Bill

Contact Your U.S. Senators & Representatives & Urge them to
Co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Initiative Act

5/11/07
Great news—the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act is being introduced in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House as early as Tuesday, May 15. This is the first step towards its passage as part of the 2007 Farm Bill. This bill is good public policy that addresses key obstacles to beginning farmers and provides smart, cost-effective start-up support and incentives for America’s next generation of family farms. It is one of the Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) top priorities in the 2007 Farm Bill.

On Tuesday, May 15, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), House Ag Committee member, are planning to introduce the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act in both chambers of Congress. This is a key step to getting support for beginning farmers and ranchers in the 2007 Farm Bill, which will be completed later this year.

LSP has been working hard to move this initiative forward. We helped draft the bill and in March Karen Stettler, LSP’s Farm Beginnings Director, testified about beginning farmer issues in front of a key Congressional committee (see the full text of Stettler’s testimony at www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070327-2.htm). In the past two months, LSP has met with Congressional leaders during member fly-ins to Washington, D.C., as well as held on-farm meetings and participated in in-district listening sessions and conferences with U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN; Chairman of the House Ag Committee) and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN; member of the House Ag Committee) to advance the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act.

Establishing the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, a beginning farmer and rancher training and support initiative that would provide $25 million per year in competitive grants to community-based organizations training and mentoring beginning farmers and ranchers.
Creating savings and lending provisions that help beginning farmers and ranchers access credit and establish a pattern of savings.
Providing conservation incentives to assist beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers to establish conservation practices and sustainable farming systems on their farms.

Contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative today (see contact information below).
Urge them to co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act.

BASIC MESSAGE:
Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin are introducing the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act. This bill is good public policy that addresses key obstacles to beginning farmers and provides smart, cost-effective start-up support and incentives for America’s next generation of family farms. It is critical this legislation be included in the 2007 Farm Bill. I want to urge (Senator or Representative) to co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative. Will they do that?

When you call, tell whoever answers the telephone you want to leave a message. Ask them to write down your note and make sure to say who you are and where you’re from. Please make three quick calls today and urge support for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative Act. It will make a big difference in moving this effort forward.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact LSP’s Adam Warthesen at 612-722-6377 or adamw@landstewardshipproject.org.

U.S. Senators:
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 202-224-3244
Norm Coleman (R-MN) 202-224-5641

U.S. House of Representatives:
Tim Walz (D-MN)                        1st District                        202-225-2472
John Kline (R-MN)                       2nd District                       202-225-2271
Jim Ramstad (R-MN)                   3rd District                        202-225-2871
Betty McCollum (D-MN)                4th District                        202-225-6631
Keith Ellison (D-MN)                    5th District                        202-225-4755
Michele Bachmann (R-MN)            6th District                        202-225-2331
Collin Peterson (D-MN)                 7th District                        202-225-2165