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A "FRESH" Approach To The Nation's Farm PolicyOn October 23, 2007, Senator Lautenberg and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced the Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship and Health (FRESH) Act. The comprehensive farm bill reform would end depression-era federal crop subsidies benefiting a few farmers, a few crops and a few states. Instead, the FRESH Act would provide a new safety net: an insurance program available to all American farmers. The facts are clear: the FRESH Act will save billions in farm payments. The savings would be invested in other vital programs like conservation, nutrition and specialty crops like fruits and vegetables, with $3 billion left over to reduce the deficit. The bill would expand popular insurance tools, and for the first time, with no out-of-pocket costs to farmers. Unlike current programs, this safety net would protect against unforeseen risks, but would not provide automatic payments to farmers when unneeded, and would not continue to distort domestic and foreign agricultural markets. The FRESH Act would create reforms that would serve a greater number of farmers more fairly and be responsive to regional and national crises that endanger the continuing success of America’s farmers. Over five years, these reforms would create more than $16 billion in additional savings. These savings would allow investment in an additional $4 billion for hunger relief efforts, including major improvements in the Food Stamp Program, our nation’s primary safety net for the disadvantaged. It also would expand nutrition programs for disadvantaged children in the summer, when school meals are not available. The bill would invest $3 billion into specialty crop programs that improve research and marketing opportunities for the majority of American farmers that currently do not benefit from farm programs. This legislation also focuses on important environmental and conservation programs and would provide an additional $6 billion. And the bill would target an additional $1.6 billion toward renewable fuels development. A section-by-section breakdown of the FRESH Act shows that it is a more responsible plan in handling our nation's farm programs. Seven other senators agree with the plan and have put their support behind the FRESH Act. The bill also has the approval of 24 organizations whose fields range from the environment, to trade, to taxes. And it has received high marks from national publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times, as well as newspapers in New Jersey like The Bergen Record and the East Brunswick Home News Tribune. Relevant Documents:
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