bytes
New Website Explains How
Farm Bill Works
USDA Announces Conservation
Reserve Program details
The American Farm Bureau Federation has
produced a new series of videos and launched
a website (http://goo.gl/ujjnny) to help farmers,
landowners and other stakeholders better understand
the provisions of the 2014 farm bill. Featured
content includes videos on key commodity program
and crop insurance provisions of the farm bill.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced
that farmers, ranchers and landowners committed to
protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive
land may sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP) beginning June 9. Retiring farmers enrolled in
CRP could receive incentives to transfer a portion of
their land to beginning, disadvantaged or veteran farmers
through the Transition Incentives Program (TIP).
The videos include a farm bill overview
describing the basic provisions of the commodity
title, including a description of the decisions related
to program participation that will need to be made
by farmers and landowners. Four other videos go indepth on the Price Loss Coverage and Supplemental
Coverage Option, the Agricultural Risk Coverage
Program, the Stacked Income Protection Program
for Cotton and the Dairy Margin Protection
Program.
“We have distilled down a massive and complex
piece of legislation – the 2014 farm bill – into
several ‘bite-size’ pieces, with the goal of helping
farmers and managers understand how it will affect
their farms,” said John Anderson, deputy chief
economist with AFBF.
Links to useful farm bill information from
USDA, land-grant universities, and other
organizations also is available on the website at
http://goo.gl/ujjnny.
“CRP is one of the largest voluntary conservation
programs in the country,” said Vilsack. “This initiative
helps farmers and ranchers lead the nation in preventing
soil erosion, improving water quality and restoring
wildlife habitat, all of which will make a difference for
future generations.”
The Conservation Reserve Program provides
incentives to producers who utilize conservation methods
on environmentally-sensitive lands. For example,
farmers are monetarily compensated for establishing
long-term vegetative species, such as approved grasses
or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion,
improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. For
more info, visit a local FSA county office or go online to
http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
Articles for NewsBytes must be submitted by the 15th of the
month prior to publication. Time-sensitive announcements must
be submitted no less than 8 weeks prior to the date of the event.
Electronic submissions, including photos, are preferred. Send to
[email protected].