Coastal Bend producers can learn about the new farm bill at a meeting Oct. 16 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Corpus Christi, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent.

The morning session will focus on the current farm bill, known as the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, which replaced the last farm bill that expired in September 2007, said Jeffrey Stapper, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Nueces County.

“Farm bills are the primary agricultural and food policy tools of the federal government which directly impact growers and producers, so this is very important legislation,” said Stapper. “We’ll be providing the latest developments on the farm bill since the final rules are still being written.”

Beginning at 9 a.m., George Knapek, program director of Texas A&M System’s Agricultural and Food Policy Center, will provide an overview of the farm bill.

Scott Reed, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency in Nueces County, will then provide an update on how the farm bill will affect local agriculture programs.

Other topics will include developing carbon markets and business planning.

The afternoon session will be a market update and strategy session on grains, cotton and oilseed. The seminar is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by AgriLife Extension. For more information, contact Stapper at 361-767-5223, or [email protected].