What's Hidden in the Farm Bill?

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This year’s federal farm bill contains many subsidies that are an annual tradition. Soybean farmers and fish farms were provided additional federal dollars.

Within this years bill lay several significant changes from previous years. Organic farmers will see more funding this year from the bill.

The bill was sponsored and supported in the Senate by by Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

The new measure reduced subsidies for traditional commodities by $23 billion over ten years. That is a 30 percent reduction in funding for those products. Oranic foods, including fruits and vegetables, saw a 50 percent increase in spending. Those products now enjoy a three billion dollar budget. Budgets were raised to assist Food Stamp recipients in purchasing fresf produce.

Michigan Representative Bill Huizenga said, “There is nothing hotter than farm to table,” referring to organic food.

Perhaps the most surprising development in the latest farm bill concerns industrial hemp. The measure lowers restrictions on growing the plant. That could lead to a revitalized hemp industry in the United States.

Hemp can be converted into fuel, rope, plastics and used in food.

Laura Batcha of the Organic Trade Association said, “We kind of over-performed with younger new members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.”

The 2014 farm bill is reflecting modern thoughts on food consumption and hemp.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/us/politics/farm-bill-reflects-shifting-american-menu-and-a-

senators-persistent-tilling.html?smid=fb-share

http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-2014-farm-bill-highlights.pdf

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2014/03/09/farm-bill-reflects-changes-in-

americans-eating-habits.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-ayres/the-2014-farm-bill-the-ba_b_4896404.html