FARM BILL A STEP FORWARD FOR WISCONSIN AGRICULTURE
New Farm Bill Reduces Deficit, Reforms Dairy Policy

Washington, D.C. - Representative Reid Ribble (WI-08), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the House passed the Farm Bill Conference Report (H.R. 2642) by a vote of 251-166.

“I have been serving on the House Agriculture Committee since I arrived in Congress, and I have taken that responsibility very seriously.  I’m pleased we were finally able to pass a long-term Farm Bill today after years of hard work.”

“While far from perfect, the 2014 Farm Bill will save taxpayers $23 billion from the previous Farm Bill.  The bill eliminates direct payments to farmers who were previously paid regardless of market conditions, and this bill repeals or consolidates nearly 100 additional programs.  The Farm Bill also tightens loopholes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program while targeting program benefits to those most in need.”

“Representing America’s Dairyland, I am pleased with the significant dairy policy reforms included in the legislation.  The Farm Bill offers dairy farmers a voluntary margin insurance program that will help farmers manage risk and will work well for Wisconsin dairy farmers of all sizes.  The 2014 Farm Bill takes several other steps forward for Wisconsin, including critical reforms to our forest policy, new opportunities for fruit and vegetable producers and processors, and ongoing support for critical agricultural research.”

Praise for Rep. Ribble’s work on the Farm Bill

"This farm bill provides risk management tools and safety net provisions for grain, livestock, dairy and fruit and vegetable growers. This is good news for an agriculturally diverse state like Wisconsin.   In regards to dairy, we are pleased this farm bill compromise offers the most significant reform to federal dairy policy in a generation. This reform comes in the way of giving dairy farmers whether or not to participate in a safety net program in times of volatile milk prices.  We appreciate the efforts of Congressman Reid Ribble for his work on the House Agriculture Committee to bring this bill forward. We've appreciated his willingness to listen to Farm Bureau members from across Wisconsin throughout farm bill deliberations." – Jim Holte, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

“I am so glad to see that we are finally going to have a Farm Bill that will give us what we need to move forward. I want to thank all the people involved for the countless hours that were put in, to make this come together. I want to thank Congressman Reid Ribble for all his hard work in representing the Wisconsin dairy industry and its producers. I understand the tough concessions that were made because of strong opinions on what is best for the dairy industry. Let’s move forward to make this program successful.” – John Pagel, Wisconsin Dairy Business Association

“The current version of the Farm Bill contains many provisions to improve and clarify forestry activities such as Forest Roads silviculture issue.  The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) commends Congressman Ribble for his leadership and also those who support America’s rural way of life with passage of this legislation.” – Mark Huempfner, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association

“As a Wisconsin Tree Farmer, I can happily say this Farm Bill was well worth the wait. With the promotion of new market opportunities in the Biobased Markets Program and green building markets, improved access to critical conservation programs, and increased regulatory certainty when protecting water quality of my forests roads, this Farm Bill is truly the best Farm Bill yet, for forests. I applaud Conference Committee members and my own Representative, Mr. Ribble, for supporting such strong provisions for America’s 22 million family forest owners.” – Tom Jacobs, Wisconsin Tree Farmer

“Congressman Ribble fought hard in this farm bill for all US fruit and vegetable growers and processors and we are grateful. In helping to ensure the farm flex program’s inclusion in the farm bill, Congressman Ribble has helped assist U.S. farmers respond to market signals and U.S. vegetable packers like Lakeside have an adequate supply to fulfill our customer’s needs.” –  Dave Yanda, Lakeside Foods
 
“We are grateful to Congressman Ribble for his work in this farm bill to help create a new one-year, $5 million pilot program as part of USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.  The pilot program will enable elementary schools in five states to test the efficacy of serving canned, dried and frozen fruits and vegetables as snacks to underprivileged school children during the 2014-2015 school year. We at Seneca believe that healthy fruits and vegetables come in all forms and we applaud Congressman Ribble for his work in helping our nation’s children learn that lesson.” – Paul Palmby, Seneca Foods

"We are heartened by the recent gains to the Farm Bill, adding to the advances Organics gained in the 2008 bill.  While this has been a long process and our families and farms deserve a more active and swift reform, this farm bill does recognize several of our key priorities we've been working so hard toward in the past two years. We believe organics is an important part of our future food system and we will continue to encourage Congress and the USDA to support this critical system. Wisconsin is a leader in organic farming and we commend Representative Ribble’s commitment in supporting the organic industry not only in his home state, but throughout the country.” – George Siemon, Organic Valley

Key Wisconsin Provisions in H.R. 2642

Dairy Policy.  The 2014 Farm Bill replaces outdated dairy programs with a gross margin insurance program that will help dairy farmers to manage their risk during difficult times.  The program is structured to work effectively for dairy producers of all sizes, and will help Wisconsin farmers as they transition from the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program.  Congressman Ribble worked successfully to continue the MILC program until the new system is up and running and also ensured that the bill did not include any provisions that would put Wisconsin farmers at an unfair disadvantage relative to other regions of the country.

Forestry.  The Farm Bill includes multiple reforms that will benefit Wisconsin’s forestry and paper sectors, including:

• Ribble-backed legislation to clarify that forest roads can continue to be managed successfully at the state level.  Congressman Ribble helped push this bipartisan legislation through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last fall.
•  Ribble legislation (H.R. 1611) to permit the Forest Service to hire retired employees to assist with forest management and timber harvesting work.
• Improvements to the USDA definition of “biobased product” to include forest products, removing a competitive disadvantage for Wisconsin’s paper industry.
•  Language to permit designation by description or and designation by prescription to improve the timber sale process.

Fruit & Vegetable Production.  The 2014 Farm Bill includes Congressman Ribble’s legislation (H.R. 1610) to incentivize and expand fruit and vegetable production for processing in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest.  Congressman Ribble also secured a pilot program in the Farm Bill to increase access to all forms of fruits and vegetables for children in schools.

Organic Agriculture.  The Farm Bill helps Wisconsin’s growing organic sector to take important steps forward.  The bill continues important organic research, certification, and data collection and includes important technology upgrades for the National Organic Program, which administers the organic seal.  Congressman Ribble has advocated for organic agriculture as a member of the Committee.

Research.  The 2014 Farm Bill continues to support agricultural research to help farmers remain competitive in global markets and continue to feed a growing population.  The Farm Bill reauthorizes the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Specialty Crop Block Grant program, which are important tools for Wisconsin cherry, potato, and cranberry growers.