Congress has started to shape the 2018 Farm Bill, with policy proposals to be debated in the months ahead. When it is eventually passed into law, the new farm legislation will impact farmers, rural residents and consumers for years to come. Iowans are urged to voice their opinion on what should be included in new federal farm policy. Three listening sessions will be held this week, co-hosted by Iowa Farmers Union, the Center for Rural Affairs and Practical Farmers of Iowa.

“The purpose of the meetings is to hear from farmers about their goals and challenges relating to conservation, beginning farmers and other farm programs,” says Anna Johnson, policy program specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs. “At these meetings, you can ask questions about farm bill policies and learn about opportunities to engage with lawmakers. You can help set the agenda for rural America and the 2018 Farm Bill.”

The meetings are set for these dates and locations in Iowa:
• Aug. 23, 1 p.m., Decorah Public Library, 202 Winnebago St., Decorah
• Aug. 24, 10 a.m., Washington Public Library, 115 W. Washington St., Washington
• Aug. 25, 10 a.m., Wallace Country Life Center, 2773 290th St., Orient

“The current farm bill, which will expire next year, sets policy for a wide variety of farm programs. These range from commodity programs and nutrition assistance to crop insurance and soil and water conservation,” Johnson notes. “As Congress begins conversations to move forward on writing and passing the new farm bill, farmers have an important opportunity to speak up about their concerns for our nation’s agriculture, and its farms and farmers.”

Each of these Iowa listening sessions will have brief presentations from Iowa Farmers Union and the Center for Rural Affairs, followed by a discussion on policy and advocacy ideas. The meeting at Decorah will focus more on farm financial safety net issues, while the meetings at Washington and Orient will focus more on conservation issues. All farm bill and rural issues are open for discussion at every session. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Johnson at 515-215-1294 or [email protected].

Groups outline key farm program issues
“Farm income is expected to drop for the fourth consecutive year in 2017,” says Aaron Lehman, president of Iowa Farmers Union. “The recent massive wave of consolidation in agribusiness results in fewer choices for farmers and consumers. Farmers are being asked to do more and more to protect our landscape and water. We have big challenges to address, and we want to hear the concerns of Iowans.”

The 2018 Farm Bill and proposed policy ideas were discussed at the recent 2017 Iowa Farm Bureau Economic Summit in Ames. “Now is the time for farmers to be engaged on the issues and get involved,” says American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

To prepare for the upcoming congressional debate on the farm bill, DuVall put together a working group of representatives from 16 state bureaus to determine which parts of the 2014 Farm Bill are working for farmers and which parts should be reworked for the 2018 Farm Bill. The group’s final recommendations were delivered in a letter sent to members of Congress, and acceptance has been good, Duvall says.

Crop insurance a top priority
“We were the first ag group to send out farm bill recommendations to Capitol Hill, and I think Congress is on track to do something this year to get a farm bill passed. I’m very optimistic we might get a new farm bill before the end of 2017,” he said.

At the top of the priority list is crop insurance, said Duvall. “We know crop insurance is the cornerstone of the current farm bill, and it is our No. 1 risk management tool for farmers. We want to make sure Congress maintains that support.”

Conservation compliance and water quality programs are other issues that will be discussed to include in the new farm bill. And budget cuts to other existing farm programs will be debated. For example, the Trump administration’s proposed budget would cap the amount of money the U.S. government provides to help farmers pay crop insurance premiums and eliminate insurance coverage for lost revenue when crop prices and per acre yields fall. The proposal seeks to cut the federal crop insurance program’s budget by $28 billion over 10 years.

Farmers need to contact representatives
Since becoming leader of AFBF in January 2016, Duvall, a cattle and chicken farmer from Georgia, has worked to build relationships on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He says he’s encouraged by Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt’s efforts to reorganize EPA and reinterpret regulations. One of the other key players in Washington he’s enthused about is U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Duvall was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau during Perdue’s governorship there.

“I saw him govern with sound science in Georgia,” Duvall said, noting that Perdue is just the fourth secretary of agriculture who has farmed in his adult life. “Sonny Perdue has the credentials to be the best secretary of agriculture we’ve ever had. Now, it’s up to farmers and farm organizations to be engaged and involved in discussions on Capitol Hill for the new farm bill.”