Farm bill to foster organic, specialty crops

The Times Standard

The 2007 Farm Bill, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives this week and governing the nation's agriculture and food programs, includes programs for specialty and organic crops, conservation and nutrition.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, applauded their inclusion.

”This farm bill is a change in direction from previous farm policy,” said Thompson. “It gives specialty crops and organic crops a place at the table, while at the same time preserving the importance of conventional agriculture across the country.”

The bill includes $1.6 billion in funding for fruit and vegetable programs, which have not received Farm Bill benefits in the past. Among other things, specialty crops will receive $38 million for technical assistance, $215 million to fund research on improving productivity and profitability, and $364 million in grants for research, education, pest and disease management and food safety.

For the first time, organic crops also received funding -- approximately $55 million for technical assistance and research.

”This bill represents the diversity and bounty of American agriculture,” said Thompson. “Fruits, vegetables and organic crops are the fastest growing segment of the agricultural economy, and we should be doing everything we can to help this industry continue to grow. This bill is a big win for California agriculture.”

The Farm Bill also provides assistance to agricultural land owners who implement conservation programs on their property. This year's bill includes more than $26 billion for conservation programs, a 25 percent increase from the 2002 Farm Bill. In addition, this year's bill extends the Wetlands Reserve Program, a voluntary incentive program that helps land owners restore wetlands.

The bill also includes $300 million for a new program, the Regional Watershed Enhancement Program. This program funds cooperative agreements between agriculture producers and the government to improve regional water quality in rivers and regions like the Klamath River Basin.

The bill also takes critical steps that will expand renewable fuel production, encourage American energy independence and protect our environment.

The measure boosts renewable energy programs by 600 percent, providing $2 billion in loan guarantees for the development of refineries that process renewable fuels, a key step toward bringing more renewable fuels to market in the United States.