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Texas Agriculture Archive

January 17, 2003

New farm bill is
'greenest' in history

By Lana Robinson
Field Editor

You don't have to be a farmer to benefit from the farm bill. According to Congressman Charles Stenholm of Stamford, who helped fellow Texan Larry Combest of Lubbock, House Agriculture Committee chairman, frame the legislation known as The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the new program ensures a safe, affordable and abundant food and fiber supply while protecting the environment.

"This is the greenest farm bill in history," Stenholm told delegates at the recent Texas Farm Bureau annual meeting in Corpus Christi during his acceptance speech for the farm organization's prestigious Meritorious Service Award. "Congress put more money into the Conservation Title than ever before to address environmental issues."

The farm bill expands existing programs and creates new programs to address high priority conservation goals. Texas Farm Bureau Director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities Ned Meister says provisions offering producers financial incentives make it more feasible to invest in technologies needed to prevent and solve problems.

"Large animal operations are now eligible to receive assistance. In fact, 60 percent of the dollars for livestock operations are earmarked for those," said Meister. "Air and water quality are particularly important aspects of the farm bill Conservation Title, and everyone benefits from that."

Meister suggested that new landowners migrating from urban areas often have a much different perception of country life than that of the established agriculture community.

"Their focus is more on recreation and aesthetics than production of a commodity," he observed. "While they may produce a commodity, it's not their main interest. Their livelihood often does not depend on the production of that commodity. They are more interested in quality of life than production.

"Urbanites tend to have a romanticized perception of a pristine area, when indeed there are agricultural operations going on that they never have had the opportunity to be around, and often misunderstand," he continued. "The changing face of agriculture includes more concentration of animals because the economics of producing a specific commodity dictate more intense management in larger operations. Commodity prices don't keep up with the incomes of other sectors of society, causing the need to increase the numbers of units of production to be able to enjoy an income level commensurate with their urban neighbors'."

Meister said globalization of agriculture has disadvantaged the American farmer, due to higher production costs here compared to production costs of other countries that don't enjoy the same standard of living as Americans. That, he says, tends to keep income levels of ag producers at a rate that does not grow with incomes from other segments.

"Agriculture is moving to resolve environmental issues. We understand the importance of air quality and water quality. We are now beginning to find technologies and management schemes that help us to accommodate that. Again, commodity prices are not keeping up. The adoption of technologies is very expensive and slow in coming because the capital is not there to move it on. The Farm Bill helps in part to install some of those new technologies," he said.

Meister said Americans are getting a great deal for their money in the landmark legislation, which authorized or re-authorized the following programs:

Conservation of Private Grazing Land Program, an existing voluntary program that helps owners and managers of private grazing land address natural resource concerns while enhancing the economic and social stability of grazing land enterprises and the rural communities that depend on them.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a voluntary program that retires environmentally sensitive cropland under protective vegetative cover for a 10- to 15-year contract period in exchange for an annual per-acre rental payment. The acreage limit is increased to 39.2 million acres. The Farmable Wetlands Pilot Program is expanded to 1 million acres and to all states.

Conservation Security Program, a new voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance for the conservation, protection, and improvement of soil, water, and related resources.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary conservation program that offers farmers and ranchers financial and technical help to install or implement structural and management conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. Funding is increased and a special initiative for ground and surface water conservation is added.

Farmland Protection Program, a voluntary program that helps farmers and ranchers protect topsoil; includes matching funds for conservation easements.

Grassland Reserve Program, a new program established to restore and preserve rangeland, pastureland, and grasslands, provides funding for easements, rental agreements, and cost share payments for enrolling up to 2 million acres.

National Natural Resources Conservation Foundation , was authorized to promote innovative solutions to natural resource problems and conduct research and educational activities to support conservation on private land.

Resource Conservation and Development Program (RC&D) encourages and improves the capability of civic leaders in designated RC&D areas to plan and carry out projects for resource conservation and community development.

Wetlands Reserve Program: The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to restore and protect wetlands and associated uplands through permanent easements, term easements, and long-term restoration agreements on private land in an environmentally beneficial and cost effective manner. The program is designed to enhance wetlands functions and values and improve related wildlife habitat.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), a voluntary program that offers technical and financial assistance to landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property.

More information about these and other conservation programs is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/ .