Senate and House Agriculture Committees to Consider Farm Bill with Pingree's Local Food Reforms this Week

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that she is encouraged that the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will consider separate versions of the Farm Bill that include a number of reforms she introduced in her bill, the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act.

"For these reforms to be included in the first draft of the House and Senate Farm Bills is a major step forward--especially in this divisive political climate. It shows that these ideas resonate with members on both sides of the aisle, and that more and more people want to know where their food is coming from," said Pingree. "These reforms will help diversified farms find new markets, improve access to healthy food for consumers and schools, and strengthen our rural economies. Together, consumers and farmers are driving exciting changes to our nation's food system, and it's time Congress catches up to them."

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will consider its version of the Farm Bill on Tuesday, followed by the House Committee on Agriculture on Wednesday. Between the two committees, several provisions from Pingree's bill have been included.

Pingree reintroduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, H.R. 1414, in April. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio introduced companion legislation in the Senate, S. 679. For more information on the bill, go to http://pingree.house.gov/localfood.

Some of the local food reforms contained in either or both versions of the Farm Bill include:

* Farm-to-school programs that will allow schools to use their federal commodity funding to buy food from local farmers. The Portland Public School System has been involved in a pilot program to buy local food for school lunches for a number of years.

* Increasing access to local food for SNAP (food stamp) recipients, including a program to provide electronic benefit card readers to farmers markets at no cost; a double-voucher program to increase the buying power at direct-to-consumer outlets; and a provision to make it easier for SNAP dollars to be spent on Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs).

* Diversified crop insurance, which will insure a whole diversified farm, not just insurance per row crop.

* Organic crop insurance, which treats organic farmers more equitably and will give organic farmers a fair price for their food.

* Value-added producer grants, which will significantly assist in re-establishing food system infrastructure in rural areas. The grants will help target and strengthen the profitability and competitiveness of family farms.

* Establish a Food Corps program for community service members to connect schools to local farms and engage K-12 students in experiential learning about agriculture, gardening, nutrition, cooking, and where their food comes from.

Other amendments may be offered to further strengthen local food infrastructure.

Source