{"id":50595,"date":"2018-12-12T15:07:09","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T20:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/?p=50595"},"modified":"2019-01-03T17:02:59","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T22:02:59","slug":"2018-farm-bill-drilldown-beginning-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/blog\/2018-farm-bill-drilldown-beginning-farmers\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Farm Bill Drilldown: Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Young seed farmer Mai Nguyen. Photo credit: USDA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the final negotiated 2018 Farm Bill<\/a>, which was released on December 11, 2018 by the leaders of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Subsequent posts focus on: organic agriculture<\/a>, conservation<\/a>, research and seed breeding<\/a>, and crop insurance and commodity subsidies<\/a>; previous posts focused on local and regional food<\/a> and beginning\/socially disadvantaged farmers<\/a>. The bill was passed by the House and Senate this week and sent to the President for his signature.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a two-year campaign to put the next generation of farmers at the center of the 2018 Farm Bill debate, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) celebrated the inclusion of hard-won provisions that will provide needed support for beginning and socially disadvantaged (SD) farmers into the future. Throughout the farm bill process, NSAC worked closely with members and allies across the country to win support for policies that would help beginning and SD farmers begin and sustain careers in agriculture. With the inclusion of and provision of mandatory permanent funding for the Farming Opportunity Training and Outreach<\/a> (FOTO) program in the bill, Congress has knocked down some of the most challenging obstacles and blazed a path forward for the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We applaud farm bill leaders for including FOTO in the final negotiated bill, and to the countless champions of the marker bills that inspired FOTO: the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act<\/a><\/em> and the Next Generation in Agriculture Act<\/a><\/em> as well as the Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers Act<\/a><\/em>. NSAC thanks the Members of Congress who remained stalwart champions of beginning and SD farmers and ranchers throughout the farm bill process, including: Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Susan Collins (R-ME), Doug Jones (D-AL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Tom Udall (D-NM); and Representatives Tim Walz (D-MN), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Sean-Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D-NM), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new farm bill includes an ambitious new farmer agenda and makes historic investments in training and outreach initiatives. The bill expands access to crop insurance and other risk management options, and includes new policies to address one of the most pressing issues facing beginning and SD farmers: access to affordable farmland. Coordination among U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies will also be improved so that beginning and SD farmers can receive better and more streamlined support. Additionally, permanent support is provided for the invaluable grassroots organizations that are working in rural communities and cities across the country to train up the next generation of farmers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we include a summary of the key takeaways on how the final conferenced bill approaches programs and policies that support beginning and SD farmers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n