The new bipartisan five-year Farm
Bill advances key Vermont agriculture, anti-hunger and
environmental priorities championed by Sen. Leahy, the most
senior member of the
Senate Agriculture Committee of either party.
Despite a Presidential veto, Congress passed the 2008 Farm
Bill with more than enough votes to override the veto.
The final version of the Farm Bill will not only renew but
also expand the basic safety net for dairy farmers, the Milk
Income Loss Contract (MILC) program; it will bring to
Vermont record levels of funding and wider access to
farmland conservation programs that have become crucial
engines in the cleanup of Lake Champlain; it will
dramatically increase support for food banks and the Food
Stamp program; and it will offer more support to help
farmers make the transition to the booming organic sector.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.),
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders
performed the traditional 'milk
toast' to celebrate the renewal of the MILC Program and the
rest of the Farm Bill became law, despite a Presidential
veto, on May 22, 2008. Click
here to read more
about the 2008 Farm Bill.
Photo by Senate
Photo Studio.
