Federal Farm Policy

The Land Stewardship Project has been working on federal farm policy since 1996.  We have a number of full-time and part-time staff carrying this work forward with the help of members and leaders. LSP’s Federal Farm Policy Committee, which includes farmers from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, is the primary steering committee for this work. In addition, LSP works with a number of coalitions, including the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, to win positive reforms on key issues facing the environment and family farms. For more information on how you can get involved in reforming federal farm policy, contact LSP’s Policy and Organizing Program at 612-722-6377 or adamw@landstewardshipproject.org.

 

2007 Farm Bill
LSP is working to make key reforms to the 2007 Farm Bill. We have outlined our Farm Bill priorities in several documents, including:

• Fact Sheet on the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program
• Successful Farms and a Healthy Land: Policy Options for the 2007 Farm Bill
• Enacting a New Farm Initiative
• Further Develop & Expand the Conservation Security Program
• Supporting the Next Generation of Family Farmers and Ranchers

Conservation Security Program
The Conservation Security Program (CSP), was enacted in the 2002 Farm Bill. It rewards farmers for producing environmental benefits on working lands, a dramatic departure from traditional commodity programs. More work needs to be done before CSP reaches its full potential. Learn more…

Pork Checkoff Campaign
LSP is a founding member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, a coalition of farm and rural organizations from several states that fights for independent livestock farmers and against the spread of corporate factory farms. Through local organizing, LSP and the other member organizations of the Campaign caused a nationwide referendum to be conducted by USDA in the fall of 2000, in which America’s hog farmers voted to terminate the mandatory pork checkoff becauseof that fee’s failure to help, or be accountable to, independent hog producers. Learn more…

Multiple Benefits of Agriculture & Pasture Raised Livestock
For several years, LSP has been involved with a research initiative that is examining the multiple benefits diverse agricultural systems can produce on the land. This research and the scientific papers it has produced are starting to have significant impacts on public policy. Learn more…

 

Action Alerts
• May 9, 2008: Tell Congress to Pass the 2008 Farm Bill
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/08/newsr_080509.htm

• March 13: 2008: Farm Bill Action Alert: Call Today—Conservation Security Program in Jeopardy
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/08/newsr_080313.htm

• December 19, 2007: Contact USDA Officials by Jan. 28 & Tell Them We Need a Meaningful 'Naturally Raised' Label
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_071219.htm

• December 11, 2007: Tell Senators to Cap Commodity Payments & Shift Savings to Beginning Farmer, Conservation & Rural Development Programs
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_071211.htm

• September 5, 2007: Stop Factory Farm Handouts in the Farm Bill—Support Stewardship on the Land
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070905.htm

• August 31, 2007: 2007 Farm Bill: Call Senate Ag Committee Members Klobuchar & Coleman to Restore Open Competition, Fair Markets & Healthy Rural Communities.
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070831.htm

• May 11, 2007: Support Beginning Farmers in the 2007 Farm Bill. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070511.htm

• April 24, 2007: Fight Corporate Concentration in the Livestock Industry. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/07/newsr_070424.htm

• November 24, 2006: Make Your Voice Heard on U.S. Farm & Food Policy Dec. 12. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/06/newsr_061124.htm

• July 21, 2006: Tell USDA by Aug. 10 That You Want a Strong Grass-fed Label. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/06/newsr_060721.htm

• November 1, 2005: Save Conservation Funding—Call Sen. Norm Coleman by Nov. 3. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/05/newsr_051101.htm

• October 3, 2005: Save Nutrition & Conservation Funding in October. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/05/newsr_051003.htm

• September 2, 2005: Save Nutrition & Conservation Funding by Sept. 16. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/05/newsr_050902.htm

• August 2, 2005: Support Family Farms & the Environment. Stop Taxpayer Handouts to Mega-Farms. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/alerts/05/newsr_050802.htm

 

Testimony & Statements
• December 14, 2007: "LSP Statement on the Senate Farm Bill: A Mixed Bag" is an analysis of the U.S. Senate's version of the 2007 Farm Bill, which was passed on Dec. 14, 2007. It also contains a link to LSP's Report Card on the Senate and House versions of the Farm Bill.
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_071214.htm

• November 16, 2007: "Letter to U.S. Senators on Proposal to Expand Farm Credit System’s Lending Authority" is a letter co-signed by the Land Stewardship Project calling on the U.S. Senate to reject the proposal to expand the lending authority of the Farm Credit System (FCS), unless that proposal also includes clear and binding provisions that direct FCS to do more for small- and mid-sized, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_071116.htm

• March 27, 2007: "Statement of Karen Stettler, Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings® Director, for the Credit Hearing of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture" outlines how Congress can help beginning farmers in the 2007 Farm Bill. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070327-2.htm

• July 22, 2006: "Statement of Paul Sobocinski to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture" outlines the Land Stewardship Project's priorities for the 2007 Farm Bill, including increased support for CSP. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_060722.htm

 

Press Releases
• May 2, 2008: MN Farmers Urge President to Sign 2008 Farm Bill
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080502-2.htm

• February 14, 2008: MN Farmers Call for Greater Conservation Security Program Investment in Peterson Farm Bill Conference Proposal
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080214.htm

• November 2, 2007: $288 Billion Farm Bill to be Finalized by U.S. Senate Next Week
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_071102.htm

• October 18, 2007: Senate Farm Bill Deal Leaves Beginning Farmers Out
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_071018.htm

• June 26, 2007: Conservation Security Program Funding Restored
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070626.htm

• May 16, 2007: Beginning Farmer & Rancher Opportunity Act Introduced in Congress
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/07/newsr_070516-2.htm

• December 7, 2006: Farmers Push Farm Bill Reform During D.C. Trip. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_061207.htm

• October 11, 2006: Minnesota Farm & Conservation Organizations Call for 2007 Farm Bill Reform. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_061011.htm

• July 21, 2006: Conservation & Beginning Farmer Initiatives Should be Priorities of New Farm Bill: Group to Testify at House Ag Committee Field Hearing Saturday. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_060721.htm

 

Articles, Commentaries & Podcasts
• "Locally grown foods could energize rural economies" is an article that appeared in the April 4, 2007, edition of the Morris Sun Tribune. It describes the "Homegrown Economy: Foods from Local Farms as Economic Development" conference, which LSP participated in. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/07/070404.htm

• "Teenager Koether is already a veteran Washington lobbyist" is an article that appeared in the March 29, 2007, edition of Agri News. It describes LSP member Kayla Koether's recent trip to Washington, D.C. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/07/070329.htm

• "Encourage new farmers, ag group leader says" is an article that appeared in the March 28, 2007, edition of the RochesterPost-Bulletin. It describes testimony given to a Congressional subcommittee by Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings director Karen Stettler. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/07/070328.htm

• "Walz supports LSP Farm Bill priorities" is an article that appeared in the Feb. 23, 2007, edition of the Fillmore County Journal. It describes a meeting between LSP members and U.S. Representative Tim Walz. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/07/070223.htm

• "Conservation Security Program should be fully funded" is an article by outdoor journalist Babe Winkelman that appeared in the Jan. 11, 2007, edition of the Walker (Minn.) Pilot-Independent. It describes efforts by Bill Gorman and other others to get full support for the Conservation Security Program in the next Farm Bill. Gorman is a member of the Land Stewardship Project's Federal Farm Policy Committee. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/07/070111.htm

• "A Sales Pitch for Farm Habitat" is an article that appeared in the November-December 2006 issue of the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. It features Land Stewardship Project member Bonnie Haugen and describes efforts to improve wildlife habitat on farms using federal agricultural conservation programs. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/novdec06/farmhabitat.html

• "Redesigning Agriculture" is a book review article that appeared in the October 2006 edition of the scientific journal BioScience. It describes ideas for making agriculture more sustainable. It was written by LSP's George Boody and Brian DeVore. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/06/061016.pdf

• "Why the Farm Bill Matters* (*Yes, even to you.)" is an article on why the general public should care about the federal Farm Bill. It appeared in the Fall 2006 edition of Edible Twin Cities magazine. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/06/061119.pdf

• "Farming green -- and getting punished: Farm policy should reward proven conservation techniques" is an editorial that appeared in the Sept. 20, 2006, edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It describes how Land Stewardship Project members like Dan and Cara Miller are punished by the government farm program for utilizing diversified, sustainable production systems. It also cites a Multiple Benefits of Agriculture study LSP participated in. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/06/060920.htm

• “A farm family gets rewarded for good stewardship” is an LSP podcast (No. 24) dated Aug. 25, 2006, featuring the Koether family, who is participating in the Conservation Security Program. http://landstewardshipproject.org/rss/archive.php

• “LSP calls for sustainable farm policy at a Congressional hearing” is an LSP podcast (No. 23) dated July 27, 2006, that features LSP organizer Paul Sobocinski’s testimony before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. http://landstewardshipproject.org/rss/archive.php

• “LSP's Mark Schultz discusses federal farm policy reform” is an LSP podcast (No. 22) dated June 30, 2006, that features LSP Policy and Organizing Director Mark Schultz discussing ways to reform farm policy http://landstewardshipproject.org/rss/archive.php

• "Crop subsidies have worldwide impact, says West African cotton farmer" is a story published by the Winona Daily News on April 22, 2006. It describes how LSP and Oxfam America are working to reform the U.S. commodity crop subsidy system. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/06/060422.htm

• "When Ag Policy Goes Good" is a special Land Stewardship Project report on how CSP is working on various Midwestern farms. It appeared in the July/August/September 2005 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-lsl.html

• Going Green in Agriculture" is a series of stories first broadcast on National Public Radio in July 2005. They feature Land Stewardship Project members Tex Hawkins and Dave Serfling, as well as the work of the Multiple Benefits of Agriculture initiative and LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4735566

 

Resources & Links
• In November 2007, the USDA released its proposal for label claims related to "naturally raised" livestock and meat. The public has until Jan. 28, 2008, to comment on the proposals. After public comments are considered, the USDA will issue a final rule. To view the USDA's proposal notice, click here.

• LSP is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, which work for a system of agriculture that is economically profitable, environmentally sound, family-farm based and socially just. More information is available at http://www.msawg.org.

• Oxfam America has been working with LSP to develop agricultural policies that are fair to farmers here and abroad. http://www.oxfamamerica.org

• The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Security Program web page is at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.

 

Upcoming Policy Events