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230-plus farm groups urge Farm Bill passage

Members of Congress are returning to Washington amidst numerous calls for them to pass the farm bill. In fact, more than 230 farm, ag and food groups delivered a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House urging them to pass a new five-year farm bill in the lame duck session.

Failure to pass a new bill before December 31st “will create significant budget uncertainty for the entire agricultural sector, including the rural businesses and lenders whose livelihoods are dependent upon farmers’ and livestock producers’ economic viability,” the letter said.

Some are advocating an extension of the recently expired 2008 farm bill but the coalition letter states: “any temporary extension would be a short-sighted, inadequate solution that would leave our constituencies crippled by uncertainty. Both the Senate and the House Committee on Agriculture passed versions of a five-year farm bill with strong bipartisan support. We urge you to lead your colleagues in passing a new 2012 Farm Bill this year.”

The letter and signatures follow:

 

November 13, 2012

The Honorable John Boehner, Speaker The Honorable Eric Cantor, Majority Leader

 U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives

 H-232, The Capitol H-329, The Capitol

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader The Honorable Steny Hoyer, Minority Whip

 U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives

 H-204, The Capitol H-148, The Capitol

 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

 Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, Minority Leader Pelosi and Minority Whip Hoyer:

 The undersigned organizations, representing the farming, livestock, specialty crop, feed, rural development, nutrition, health, conservation, woodland owners, municipalities, trade, manufacturing, agricultural research, crop insurance and renewable energy communities, respectfully request passage of a new five-year farm bill to be signed into law before the end of the legislative session in December 2012.

This legislation is of paramount importance to the diverse, bipartisan constituencies our organizations represent. Failure to pass a new five-year farm bill before the year’s end will create significant budget uncertainty for the entire agricultural sector, including the rural businesses and lenders whose livelihoods are dependent upon farmers’ and livestock producers’ economic viability.

Additionally, our country is recovering from the largest drought since the 1930s, with most of the counties across the nation being declared agricultural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at some point during 2012, and 55 percent of the nation’s pasture and rangeland rated in poor to very poor condition. This year alone, several states have ranked in the driest third percentile on record. These historic conditions and their damaging economic effects cannot be ignored.

For these reasons, we stand united in our strong support for a new five-year bill; any temporary extension would be a short-sighted, inadequate solution that would leave our constituencies crippled by uncertainty. Both the Senate and the House Committee on Agriculture passed versions of a five-year farm bill with strong bipartisan support. We urge you to lead your colleagues in passing a new 2012 Farm Bill this year. We thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, 

  • 25x’25 Alliance
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Advanced Biofuels USA 
  • Ag Energy Coalition
  • Agricultural Retailers Association
  • Alianza Nacional de Campesinas
  • Alliance of Forest Workers and Harvesters
  • American Agriculture Movement
  • American Association of Avian Pathologists 2
  • American Association of Bovine Practitioners
  • American Association of Crop Insurers
  • American Beekeeping Federation
  • American Biogas Council
  • American Coalition for Ethanol
  • American Corn Growers Institute for Public Policy
  • American Farmland Trust
  • American Feed Industry Association
  • American Forest Foundation
  • American Forests
  • American Honey Producers Association
  • American Horse Council
  • American Nursery & Landscape Association
  • American Pulse Association
  • American Seed Trade Association
  • American Sheep Industry Association
  • American Society of Agronomy
  • American Soybean Association
  • American Sugar Alliance
  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Associated Milk Producers, Inc.
  • Association of Equipment Manufacturers
  • Audubon Society of New Hampshire
  • Basin Electric Power Cooperative
  • Bedminster Regional Land Conservancy
  • Berkshire Co-op Market
  • Berkshire Grown
  • Bio Feedstock Industry Association
  • Biomass Power Association
  • Bird’s Haven Farms
  • Blue Diamond Growers
  • California Apple Commission
  • California Association of Winegrape Growers
  • California Blueberry Commission
  • California Cherry Export Association
  • California Farm Bureau Federation
  • California Fresh Tomato Growers
  • California Grape and Tree Fruit League
  • California Pear Growers
  • California Table Grape Commission
  • California Water Environment Association
  • Center for Rural Affairs
  • Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy
  • Cherry Marketing Institute, Inc.
  • Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage
  • Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
  • Columbia Land Trust
  • The Conservation Fund 3
  • Crop Science Society of America
  • Cumberland Land Trust
  • Doug Goehring, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture
  • East Quabbin Land Trust
  • Ecological Farming Association
  • Environmental and Energy Study Institute
  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • Exergy Integrated Systems
  • Fair Food Network
  • Family Dairies USA
  • Farm Fresh Rhode Island
  • Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc.
  • Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS)
  • The Fertilizer Institute
  • Gardening the Community
  • Garrison Diversion Conservancy District
  • Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
  • Great Peninsula Conservancy
  • Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter Buy Fresh Buy Local
  • Greenhorns
  • Growth Energy
  • Hartford Food System, Inc.
  • Hmong National Development, Inc.
  • Hungry Hollow Co-op
  • Idaho Dairymen’s Association
  • Illinois Stewardship Alliance
  • Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)
  • Indian Nations Conservation Alliance
  • Indian River Citrus League
  • Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
  • International Biochar Initiative
  • Intervale Center
  • Izaak Walton League of America
  • Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
  • Kentucky Resources Council, Inc.
  • The Land Conservancy of New Jersey
  • Land O’Lakes
  • Land Stewardship Project
  • Land Trust Alliance
  • Livestock Marketing Association
  • Lodi Winegrape Commission
  • The Lyme Timber Company
  • Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
  • Maine Rural Partners
  • Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
  • Marin Agricultural Land Trust
  • Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers
  • Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions 4
  • The Massachusetts Farm to School Project
  • Michigan Apple Association
  • Midwest Dairy Coalition
  • Mycobacterial Diseases of Animals (MDA) Multistate Initiative
  • National Aquaculture Association
  • National Association for the Advancement of Animal Science (NAAAS)
  • National Association of Clean Water Agencies
  • National Association of Conservation Districts
  • National Association of Counties
  • National Association of Development Organizations
  • National Association of Farmer Elected Committees
  • National Association of Federal Veterinarians
  • National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils
  • National Association of State Conservation Agencies
  • National Association of State Foresters
  • National Association of Wheat Growers
  • National Barley Growers Association
  • National Berry Crops Initiative
  • National Biodiesel Board
  • National Cooperative Business Association
  • National Corn Growers Association
  • National Council of Agricultural Employers
  • National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
  • National Farm to School Network
  • National Farmers Organization
  • National Farmers Union
  • National Grange
  • National Grape & Wine Initiative
  • National Milk Producers Federation
  • National Potato Council
  • National Renderers Association
  • National Sunflower Association
  • National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
  • National Watermelon Association
  • National Wild Turkey Federation
  • National Wildlife Federation
  • National Women in Agriculture Association
  • National Woodland Owners Association
  • National Young Farmers Coalition
  • Native Pollinators in Agriculture Project
  • Nature Abounds
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society
  • Neighboring Food Co-op Association
  • New Hampshire Institute of Agriculture and Forestry
  • New Mexico Acequia Association
  • New York Wine & Grape Foundation 5
  • NOFA Interstate Council (NOFA-IC)
  • North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association
  • North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts
  • North Dakota Corn Growers Association
  • North Dakota Farm Credit Council
  • North Dakota Pork Council
  • North Dakota Soybean Growers Association
  • Northarvest Bean Growers Association
  • Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
  • Northeast States Association for Agricultural Stewardship
  • Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG)
  • Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
  • Northern Pulse Growers Association
  • Northwest Dairy Association/Darigold
  • Northwest Horticultural Council
  • Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
  • Ohio Soybean Association
  • Orange County Land Trust
  • Oregon Association of Nurseries
  • Oregon Winegrowers Association
  • Organic Farming Research Foundation
  • Organic Valley
  • Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas
  • OwnEnergy
  • Peconic Land Trust
  • Pet Food Institute
  • Pheasants Forever
  • Pollinator Partnership
  • Produce Marketing Association
  • Quails Forever
  • Renewable Fuels Association
  • Repreve Renewables, LLC
  • Rhode Island Rural Development Council
  • Rooted in Community
  • RRGB Shipman Farm
  • Rural Advancement Fund of the National Share Croppers Fund
  • Rural Coalition
  • Rural Community Assistance Partnership
  • Rural Development Leadership Network
  • RuralVotes
  • School Food FOCUS National Office
  • Seacoast Eat Local
  • Slow Food USA
  • Society for Range Management
  • Society of American Florists
  • Soil and Water Conservation Society
  • Soil Science Society of America
  • South Dakota Wind Energy Association 6
  • South East Dairy Farmers Association
  • Southern Forest Products Association
  • Spartanburg Water
  • Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance
  • SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association
  • State Agriculture and Rural Leaders
  • Sun-Maid Growers of California
  • Swan Conservation Trust
  • Texas International Produce Association
  • Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
  • Three Valley Conservation Trust
  • The Trust for Public Land
  • Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
  • USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
  • U.S. Apple Association
  • US Canola Association
  • US Composting Council
  • U.S. Dairy Export Council
  • US Dry Bean Council
  • U.S. Meat Export Federation
  • United Dairymen of Arizona
  • United Egg Producers
  • United Fresh Produce Association
  • United States Cattlemen’s Association
  • Vermont Land Trust
  • Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers
  • Washington State Council of Farmer Cooperatives
  • Washington State Potato Commission
  • Weeks Bay Foundation
  • Western Growers
  • Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association
  • Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
  • Wine Institute
  • Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE)

cc: U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

  • it concerns me very much that the farm bill may be passed with the monsanto rider attached. does anyone know how this legislation is going and who is monitoring it? and i see that even organic valley is asking for a speedy passage. what is going on, ….anyone know?? you at brownfield don’t care but i do..

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