Cosign letter to Senate and House Agriculture Committee Leadership: Pass the Farm Bill

August 13, 2018

Dear Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson:

Thank you for your extensive work to pass a farm bill out of your respective chambers. Your committed and ongoing efforts to complete an on-time farm bill are appreciated by the undersigned organizations. Americans must have a five-year farm bill ahead of the September 30 expiration of the Agricultural Act of 2014. We urge you to quickly reconcile the bills’ differences and pass a conference report so that it can be enacted into law.
As you well know, the farm and rural economy is under significant financial stress. Net farm income has been cut in half since the 2014 Farm Bill. Farmers and ranchers and the rural communities and agribusinesses that depend on agricultural production need a strong and predictable safety net that includes important risk management tools such as crop insurance to weather these difficult economic times. They cannot afford a short-term extension.

Low-income Americans rely on a number of vital nutrition programs authorized through the Farm Bill. While the overall economy has improved and participation has dropped, the need remains significant. We urge the committees to work together to meet the needs of this important population.

The investments made in on-farm conservation programs and practices have yielded environmental improvements not only for the farmer, but for the surrounding communities, and downstream residents. Stakeholders are eager to build on past progress and utilize additional improvements to conservation programs. In order to do so, they need certainty and adequate resources that come from a timely farm bill.

As you know, the expansive nature of the farm bill touches a host of other priorities including beginning farmers, credit, organics, trade promotion, horticulture, research, food aid, forestry, bioenergy, regulatory certainty, and others. Our diverse community has continually come together to advance successive farm bills. Our collaboration is a testament to the importance of this legislation to our organizations, our members, and the nation.

We look forward to successful passage of an on-time five-year farm bill and thank you again for your continued commitment.

Sincerely,

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
Ag Processing, Inc.
AgriBank
Agricultural Retailers Association
Algae Biomass Organization
Alliance to End Hunger
Amcot
American AgCredit
American Agri-Women
American Association of Crop Insurers
American Association of Mycobacterial Diseases (AAMD)
American Bankers Association
American Dairy Science Association (ADSA)
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Farmland Trust
American Malting Barley Association
American Mushroom Institute
American Peanut Council
American Peanut Shellers Association
American Pistachio Growers
American Pulse Association
American Seed Trade Association
American Society of Agronomy
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
American Society of Nutrition
American Soybean Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Sugar Beet Growers Association
American Sugar Cane League
American Water Works Association
American Wood Council
AmericanHort
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Association of State Floodplain Managers
Beer Institute
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
California Canning Peach Association
Ceres Solutions Cooperative, Inc.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
CHS Inc.
CoBank
Corn Refiners Association
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Crop Insurance Professionals Association (CIPA)
Crop Science Society of America
Ducks Unlimited
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Equipment Dealers Association
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fair Food Network
Farm Credit Bank of Texas
Farm Credit Council
FASS
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Global Harvest Institute
GROWMARK, Inc.
Growth Energy
Hardwood Federation
Idaho Dairymen’s Association
Independent Community Bankers of America
Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America
Iowa Institute for Cooperatives
Land Improvement Contractors of America
Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Land Trust Alliance
Landus Cooperative
Louisiana Association of Cooperatives
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc.
MBG Marketing – The Blueberry People
MFA Oil Company
Minnesota Corn Growers Association
Mycobacterial Diseases of Animals Multistate Initiative
National All-Jersey
National Association for the Advancement of Animal Science
National Association of Clean Water Agencies
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Credit Specialists
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
National Association of Professional Insurance Agents
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Biodiesel Board
National Black Growers Council
National Co+op Grocers
National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research
National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA)
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Farmers Organization
National Farmers Union
National FFA Organization
National Grain and Feed Association
National Grange
National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Onion Association
National Organic Coalition
National Peach Council
National Peanut Buying Points Association
National Renderers Association
National Rural Lenders Association
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
National Wildlife Federation
National Young Farmers Coalition
Nebraska Cooperative Council
North American Millers’ Association
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont
Northwest Dairy Association/Darigold, Inc.
Organic Seed Alliance
Organic Trade Association
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
Pollinator Partnership
Property and Casualty Insurers of America
Rain and Hail Insurance Society
Rural & Agriculture Council of America
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), Inc.
Rural Community Insurance Services
Society for Range Management
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Soil Science Society of America
South Carolina Peach Council
South Dakota Association of Cooperatives
South East Dairy Farmers Association
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation
Staplcotn
Supporters of Agriculture Research (SoAR) Foundation
Syngenta
Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council
The Fertilizer Institute
The Nature Conservancy
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
U.S. Apple Association
U.S. Beet Sugar Association
United Egg Producers
United Fresh Produce Association
United Producers, Inc.
United States Cattlemen’s Association
US Canola Association
US Dairy Forage Research Center Stakeholder Committee
US Dry Bean Council
US Sweet Potato Council
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
Water Environment Federation
Western Growers Association
Western Peanut Growers Association
Western United Dairymen
Women Involved in Farm Economics
Zurich North America