The Latest from AgMag

Since it was first authorized in the 1996 farm bill, USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program has grown into the single most important federal program that helps farmers and ranchers protect farmland and the environment as they grow America’s food.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Subsidies

Farm Policy

Environment

There’s a lot of nonsense being circulated as the full Senate debates the farm bill and members finally bring up amendments to make common sense reforms to the federal crop insurance program.

The crop insurance lobby and its champions in Congress are claiming that any reduction in the lavish subsidies provided to farmers or in the windfall profits showered on the insurance companies will destroy the program because big farmers will exit the program.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Subsidies

Farm Policy

Congressman Fincher: Stop stealing our money

Over the weekend, the 2^nd most heavily subsidized farmer in Congress – and one of the largest subsidy recipients in Tennessee history – said Washington should not “steal” from taxpayers to support food assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – better known as food stamps.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Subsidies

Farm Policy

The budget-busting farm bill approved Wednesday night (May 15) by the House Agriculture Committee and its leaders – Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) – is nothing but bad news for the environment. Here’s why:

Key Issues: 

Farming

Subsidies

Farm Policy

Environment

Local & Sustainable

This ought to be simple.

While farm income is at record levels, 47 million Americans are struggling with hunger and millions of acres of wetland and prairie are being lost forever.

So, naturally, the farm bill proposals being debated this week would cut subsidies for the largest and most successful farms and provide more assistance for the hungry and the environment.

Right?

Some things are not so simple.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Subsidies

Farm Policy

Environment

Here’s the bottom line: Both farm bills proposed this week (May 13) by the House and Senate Agriculture committees would cut funding for the hungry and the environment to help boost subsidies for the largest and most successful farm businesses.

That’s despite the fact that farm income is near record highs and the average household income of a large commercial farm is more than $200,000 a year.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Farm Policy

Dick and Linda Grotberg began their transition to sustainable farming largely by accident.

In 2004, the North Dakota farming couple got out of the confined-hog raising business when the often unstable hog market was strong and decided instead to buy cattle to graze their Barnes County land.

They discovered that the soil on Bethany Prairie Farm began getting all the nutrients it needed without applying chemical fertilizers, which often washed off the land into nearby rivers and streams.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Farm Policy

Environment

Food

Local & Sustainable

Today, on the eve of farm bill consideration by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, EWG is launching an unprecedented campaign to remind Congress that our land, our food, our families, and our farms are all worth protecting.

The goal of our campaign is simple: to persuade Congress to require basic environmental protections in exchange for subsidies, to fully fund U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs, and to reform these critically important conservation programs to make every dollar count.

Key Issues: 

Farming

Environment

Food

Local & Sustainable

A smart man learns from his mistakes, Terry Ingram likes to say, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

“I’ll never claim to be a wise man, but I’m at least a smart man. Once you experience what it’s like to farm organic, your eyes open to how abundant nature is. I am blessed to see it every day. I feel privileged to be able to farm this way.”

Terry and his wife, Alyson, their two small children, his parents and his brother all live on and work the Virginia farm where he was born and raised. 

Key Issues: 

Farming

Environment

Food

Local & Sustainable