Thank you for making a difference in the Farm Bill

The American Community Gardening Association lends its support to the
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. Here's the latest on the
Farm Bill. 

-----Original Message-----
From: National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture
[c*@sustainableagriculture.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 2:10 PM
Subject: Thank you for making a difference in the Farm Bill


NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
www.sustainableagriculture.net
11/20/01

Thank You.

YOUR ACTION resulted in MAJOR WINS in the farm bill passed by the Senate

Agriculture Committee.

These are wins for everyone who has a stake in our nation's food and 
farming systems.
Ø       Passage of the Harkin Conservation Security Act, which will
reward 
farmers and ranchers for stewardship of land in active production.

Ø       Passage of the Wellstone-Thomas Country of Origin Labeling 
amendment that will allow everyone to know the country of origin of
their 
fresh meat, fruit and vegetables-a priority competition title issue.

Ø       Important beginning farmer and rancher provisions throughout the

farm bill.

Ø       Increased funding for the Wetland Reserve Program, Wildlife
Habitat 
Incentives Program, and the Farmland Protection Program.

Ø       Provisions in the Rural Development title to promote 
entrepreneurship, value-adding initiatives, and micro-enterprise 
development by family farmers and ranchers, and their communities.

Ø       Improvements to the Outreach and Assistance for Socially 
Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers program, but more are needed.

Ø       A nationwide organic certification cost share program to help 
defray the costs for organic farmers to be certified under the new
National 
Organic Program.

After Thanksgiving the Senate will vote on this farm bill.

We will need to defend what we have won, and support critical changes!
Ø       Defend against raids on the funding for Conservation, Rural 
Development, Nutrition and Research titles, and protect the wins
mentioned 
above.

Ø       The bills of the House and the Senate Ag Committee significantly

weaken the integrity of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) 
by subsidizing the waste management of large factory farms.  Fight to 
restore EQIP program integrity!

Ø       The competition title was narrowly defeated in the Senate Ag 
Committee, but we have a good chance to get its provisions passed as 
amendments by the Senate as a whole. Support amendments that would begin
to 
restore fair competition in the domestic food and agriculture system.

Ø       Strengthen and increase funding for community food projects.

Ø       Strengthen and improve outreach and assistance for socially 
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and provisions to ensure equitable 
program access and participation.

Ø       Farmers and ranchers need commodity programs structured to
ensure 
that farmers earn a fair price from the market while reducing farm
program 
incentives for overproduction.  If farm policy requires farmers to
receive 
a significant amount of their income from taxpayer funded payments,
there 
should be payment limitations and effective measures to ensure that the 
vast majority of these payments go to family farmers.

......and more.

YOU make THE difference.

GET READY FOR THE BIG PUSH AFTER THANKSGIVING!

Meanwhile, we are giving thanks to all of you who take the time to make 
your voices heard, and make our democracy more vibrant.

______________________________________________________
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