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Farm Bill implementation one year in

It’s been a year since the 2014 Farm Bill began to be implemented and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says it’s been a great undertaking. Farmers joined him on a call with reporters to talk about how the new Farm Bill provisions have helped them.

Ben LaCross is a grower in northern Michigan whose cherry crop, along with others, suffered from extremely high temperatures followed by an April frost in 2012. LaCross says, “At the time of that disaster, cherries were not eligible for crop insurance. Provisions of this Farm Bill allowed farmers like me to purchase coverage to retroactively insure our fruit. The coverage level was minimal for most producers but Farm Bill support has allowed most all cherry growers to overcome that sunny weather disaster.”

Edgar Pruitt, a new farmer in Alabama, says the help he’s received through Natural Resources Conservation Service programs in the Farm Bill have been a game changer. Pruitt says, “I’ve received help in building fences and water lines and planting grazing grasses and hay grasses just on the commercial cow side of the business.” Pruitt has five crops:  Cattle, catfish, broilers, honey and organic produce.

Secretary Vilsack says a lot of work has been done and there is more to be done on implementation. He gives a large amount of the credit to USDA staff.