Farm Bill
Georgia Organics will advocate for a Farm Bill that strives for a more equitable and sustainable food and farm economy; one that moves us away from a commodity-based system to one that is more community-based.
Read the Georgia Organics Farm Bill platform here.
Farm Bill Basics
The Farm Bill is a major agricultural policy of the United States has roots in the 1930s, when Congress passed the very first price support legislation. This was done to keep farmers from losing their land during the Great Depression. (The Congressional Research Service however officially attributes the first Farm Bill to the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965.)
Since that time, the Farm Bill, authorized roughly every five years, has become a dynamic, all-encompassing policy guiding everything from food stamps to bioenergy to, most recently, organic farming.
The Farm Bill is divided into 15 major titles, or sections, each covering programs and subsequent funding. The Farm Bill is written by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees – with funding determined by the Appropriations Committees. Ultimately, every member of Congress votes to reauthorize the Farm Bill. This handy guide, compiled by the National Sustainable Agriculture coalition, lists the current Farm Bill Programs.
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Local Food & Beginning Farmer Legislation Introduced in Congress
There are two new pieces of federal legislation that focus on increasing access and production of local, sustainable food and supporting the next generation of farmers. These bills are considered "marker bills," which can serve as policy vehicles to get ideas inserted in to the Farm Bill when drafting begins in early 2012.
Like what you see? Ask your Congressman and Georgia's two Senators to support.
Keep up with the latest updates from the Hill from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
(An amazing source and great blog)
Track Farm Bill funding through an exciting new tool developed out of Johns Hopkins
(The Farm Bill Funding visualizer seeks to educate advocates about where and how the nearly $284 billion authorized as part of the Farm Bill or Farm Bill programs is spent)