3 minute read
Farm Bill Freak Out
Farm Bill Freak Out
The Voice For Soy is growing at a crucial time as harvest begins and Congress begins their final descent into the passage of a Farm Bill.
Harvest can be an uncertain time, one where our growers enter the fields and pass through their rows to see what the year has yielded. In a similar way, Congress enters uncertain times with the Farm Bill, as the September 30 deadline looks less and less possible. Some may panic over threats of “government shutdown,” a “late farm bill,” or “no farm bill” being slung from aisle to aisle. However, here at the Voice for Soy, we’re more certain than ever that our voice will be heard and a Farm Bill will pass, even if it’s a little late.
Our grower membership has increased by over 40 percent in the past 7 months, largely due to several membership pushes through events, mailers and emails. If you haven’t been getting our grower member updates, please ensure your membership is up-to-date by emailing ashley.barry@ilsoy.org . This increase in membership has accompanied an increase in legislative outreach. In the past year, the ISA staff and our farmers have flown to Washington D.C. over half-a-dozen times, lobbied countless legislators on the Farm Bill, and met our challenges with great progress. However, this year it seems progress on the Farm Bill is moving at a slower pace. This slower pace requires legislative plays that will make the passage of the Farm Bill possible.
First, legislators have from September 6, when they return from August Recess, until September 30 to pass an extension on the Farm Bill. This extension will keep vital programs like the USDA operating until December of this year. There is strong sentiment on The Hill that the Farm Bill will pass by the end of this calendar year, though the possibility still stands that the Farm Bill will not be passed come 2024.
If an extension does NOT pass, then there is a chance Congress will revert to prior legislation, meaning some programs that weren’t previously included would cease to be funded. Under a 1949 law, parity prices were used for price support and guaranteed producers 50 to 90 percent of parity using a value from over 100 years ago as a benchmark (values derived from 1910-1914). So, what does this all mean for your farm?
Under a worst-case scenario, lawmakers revert to a previous law. Due to mandatory and discretionary spending differentiations, crop insurance programs would continue while any new conservation contracts would remain unfunded. A more likely scenario lies in the extension, where lawmakers will have until the end of the year to write, pass, and fund a Farm Bill.
It will take strong, united voices to ensure the Farm Bill passes within the allotted extension period. If you haven’t already, please remind your legislator how important an effective, efficient Farm Bill is to the legacy of your family farm. We will continue to educate lawmakers about the importance of supporting agriculture from all ends, including a strong and timely Farm Bill.
