#18: Interview with Judi Whittaker, Barb Hanselman and David Fisher on the Federal Farm Bill - 10-05-2023

Summary

New York Farm Bureau News Bytes: Understanding the Federal Farm Bill

Episode Overview

In episode #18 of "New York Farm Bureau News Bytes," released on October 5, 2023, host Steve Ammerman delves into the critical topic of the Federal Farm Bill. With the existing Farm Bill recently expiring, the episode features insightful interviews with three New York farmers—Judi Whitaker, Barb Hanselman, and David Fisher—who share their experiences and perspectives on why the Farm Bill is essential for their operations and the broader agricultural landscape.

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The Significance of the Federal Farm Bill

Steve Ammerman sets the stage by explaining the fundamental role of the Farm Bill in the American food system:

"The Farm Bill is the most significant piece of legislation that affects our food system, and it's renewed every five years." [00:04]

Ammerman highlights that although the Farm Bill expired in early October, immediate negative effects are unlikely until the end of the year when funding for essential programs may lapse unless Congress acts. The Farm Bill encompasses approximately 20% agricultural programs and 80% nutrition programs, including vital SNAP benefits.

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Voices from the Field

Judi Whitaker: Sustaining Dairy Farming through EQIP

Judi Whitaker, a dairy farmer from Broome County, emphasizes the Farm Bill's role in providing essential support through programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP):

"Programs like EQIP are our lifeline to keep continuing farming." [01:45]

Whitaker discusses how EQIP assists her farm in implementing sustainable practices, such as managing grass waterways and fencing to protect waterways from cattle. She underscores the importance of funding:

"Finding funding is critical." [02:38]

Through these programs, Whitaker's farm has become more sustainable, contributing positively to the Chesapeake Bay watershed and ensuring clean water flowing from her operations.

Barb Hanselman: Enhancing Rural Prosperity and Food Security

Barb Hanselman, a dairy farmer from Delaware County in the Catskills, articulates the broader implications of the Farm Bill for rural America and the national food system:

"The Farm Bill is what supports farmers so that American farmers can do what they need to do and do it well and be productive and have businesses that are sustainable." [04:22]

Hanselman advocates for several enhancements in the upcoming Farm Bill, including:

• Expanding Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC): A risk management program crucial for dairy farms.

  "I would like to see the base that they use for DMC is updated because it's over 10 years ago." [05:31]

• Modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Order: Addressing outdated regulations from the 1930s to better suit current agricultural needs.

• Supporting School Nutrition Programs: Encouraging the inclusion of free breakfasts and lunches for school children as part of the Farm Bill.

• Enforcing Labeling Laws: Addressing the misuse of the term "milk" by plant-based beverages.

Hanselman emphasizes the Farm Bill's potential to bridge gaps and foster understanding between agriculture and the general public, strengthening mutual support.

David Fisher: Beyond Dairy—Supporting Diverse Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship

David Fisher, President of the New York Farm Bureau and a dairy farmer from the North Country, expands the conversation to include support for diverse crops and environmental initiatives:

"We need a strong farm bill in this country because it supports everything that we all need three or more times a day when we eat." [09:39]

Fisher highlights the importance of programs like the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which provides critical insurance for New York’s diverse fruit and vegetable producers. He also underscores the role of EQIP in promoting environmental stewardship:

"Farmers are very self-conscious of and want to do a better job. So probably one of the best things is the EQIP money." [10:13]

Fisher recounts the successful collaboration between farmers and New York City in enhancing water quality, showcasing the Farm Bill's impact beyond individual farms.

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Key Themes and Insights

1. Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship:

   • Programs like EQIP enable farmers to adopt sustainable practices that protect water quality and reduce environmental impact.
   • Fisher cites the collaboration that prevented New York City from incurring massive water treatment costs as a testament to effective Farm Bill programs.

2. Risk Management and Financial Stability:

   • DMC and NAP are crucial for helping farmers manage financial risks associated with fluctuating market prices and natural disasters.
   • Hanselman calls for updating these programs to reflect the current agricultural landscape and ensure continued support.

3. Rural Prosperity and Community Support:

   • The Farm Bill serves as a cornerstone for rural economies, ensuring that farming communities remain viable and prosperous.
   • Enhancing school nutrition programs can provide additional support, linking agricultural policy to public health and education.

4. Food Security as National Security:

   • Fisher articulates that maintaining robust agricultural programs is essential for national security, preventing disruptions like those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   • Ensuring domestic food production safeguards against potential global supply chain interruptions.

5. Advocacy and Legislative Action:

   • The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to contact their congressional representatives to support a strong and comprehensive Farm Bill.
   • Emphasis on bipartisan support underscores the Farm Bill's universal importance across political lines.

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Conclusion

Episode #18 of "New York Farm Bureau News Bytes" provides a comprehensive examination of the Federal Farm Bill's pivotal role in sustaining New York's agricultural sector and ensuring national food security. Through the voices of Judy Whitaker, Barb Hanselman, and David Fisher, the episode underscores the necessity of renewing and strengthening the Farm Bill to support diverse farming practices, environmental stewardship, and rural prosperity. As the deadline for renewed legislation approaches, the insights shared in this episode highlight the critical need for advocacy and informed legislative action to maintain a resilient and thriving agricultural system.

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Call to Action

The New York Farm Bureau encourages members and the public to actively engage with their senators and congressional representatives. Advocacy for a robust Farm Bill is essential to support local agriculture and ensure the continued provision of fresh, clean, and sustainable food for communities across New York State and the nation.

Thank you for listening to this episode of News Bytes. Remember to support your local farmers!

Transcript

[Steve Ammerman]

This week, an important milestone came and went. The existing farm bill expired. And today you will hear from three farmers as to why this farm bill matters. Hi, I'm Steve Ammerman, Director of Communications for New York Farm Bureau. Today on Newsbytes, we'll take a deeper dive on the farm Bill, hearing from three people who've relied on its programs. But first, a little background. The Farm Bill is the most significant piece of legislation that affects our food system, and it's renewed every five years. Although it technically expired at the start of October, there are no immediate negative ramifications until the end of this year. That's when funding for essential programs will begin to run out and Congress must take action. In years past, it has authorized extenders until a full farm bill can be passed. New York Farm Bureau remains committed to securing a strong farm bill that supports critical needs of our state's diverse agricultural system. From risk management and disaster assistance to conservation and research funding. Farms depend on a farm bill to provide food security for our country. The agricultural programs make up about 20% of the overall legislation. The other 80% provides for critical nutrition programs like SNAP benefits for people in every community across this country. In a previous News Bites podcast that you can listen to, we spoke with New York Farm Bureau's National Affairs Director, Lauren Williams, about the farm Bill policies and priorities for New York Farm Bureau. But today, we're hearing from three farmers who've used the programs. Each one spoke at a congressional farm bill listening session earlier this summer in Binghamton about the importance of having a strong farm bill. So we'll begin with Judy Whitaker. She's a dairy farmer outside of Binghamton in Broome County. She begins by explaining simply why the Farm Bill is critical to her.

[Judy Whitaker]

It's critical to our future, what is being required of us as far as having programs available to fit between the CAFO needs and the environmental stewardship needs that we need to continue having. Programs like EQIP are our lifeline to keep continuing farming. So we work very closely with our local NRCS staff, and they provide us the guidance if we're looking to put in, you know, some kind of system on our farm of what we need to do to have it fit the guidelines and the rules under how people farm. We're cafo, so there's guidelines that we have to fall under for that. We use them for the guidance of what we need to do. And also we use them to help us find some funding. As everybody knows, we're a dairy farm, so we're price takers, not Price setters. There's only so much money to go around for us to be able to implement these programs. So finding funding is critical.

[Steve Ammerman]

Conservation programs are an important part of the farm, including what is called EQUIP or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Judy, why is this valuable to your farm?

[Judy Whitaker]

We've done a lot over the years with the equip. Like I've said, between the grass waterways, the fencing out of streamlines so that the cattle can't get in the streams, all these different things, small programs as we've gone through, but they've all added up to make us much more sustainable. So the worse. Sure, the water leaving our farm is leaner than when it started. Our farm is located at the headwaters for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. So what we do impacts everybody down to the Delaware River. So we take great pride in what we're able to do on our farm and implement on our farm, so. So that we feel that confidence of the waters flowing through our farm are clean.

[Steve Ammerman]

Judy, why is it important for farmers and people who value a strong food system in this country to speak out in favor of the Farm Bill?

[Judy Whitaker]

So supporting the Farm Bill, it's extremely important to farmers of New York State as the programs that are provided there are available. And we need to make sure people are still supporting and asking for these projects and programs to be continually funded so that there is something that'll keep our farms strong and sustainable here in New York State, providing fresh, clean, clear food, fuel and fiber for the citizens of not just our state, but across the usa.

[Steve Ammerman]

After we spoke with Judy, we chatted with Barb Hanselman for a few minutes. She too, has a dairy farm. Her family lives in Delaware county in the Catskill region. And she's also passionate about wanting to have a farm bill that provides for her farm, but but also for our larger food system. So it's bigger than just your farm bar. Why does this matter for rural America as a whole?

[Barb Hanselman]

The Farm Bill is really important because first off, what helps us all going forward, whether you're a farmer or an American consumer, is food. We all need food. And so the Farm Bill is what supports farmers so that American farmers can do what they need to do and do it well and be productive and have businesses that are sustainable as well as that. We produce food that's good for the American public and also ensures security because people that is hungry is not a happy, you know, group of people. And with that, then there's a lot of chaos. So it's really important, and I think it does bridge that gap that has become bigger over years. There were a lot more people that were involved and agriculture that had some sort of production, agriculture as a part of their life in past generations and today's, there isn't. And so I think that the Farm Bill is the opportunity to hopefully bring us all together, you know, to have an understanding of why we need each other.

[Steve Ammerman]

Barb, you spoke at the listening session about some changes you'd also like to see, including expanding the dairy margin coverage program. It's a risk management program that dairy farms use. What are some of the other changes you want to see in the next Farm Bill?

[Barb Hanselman]

Well, I will say that I do think that it is so very important that our members of Congress are always thoughtful about rural prosperity. And. And it is a challenge. It's continuing to be a bigger and bigger challenge. And it doesn't make any difference. If you're in the Midwest, small towns in the Midwest or small towns and upstate New York, there's challenges with prosperity. And the key to that, so that our rural America can still prosper and be homes to many Americans, is agriculture. And so that was one thing that I kind of rolled off with in the beginning because I just think that it's important to be thoughtful about that as we're putting this together. You know, I also am a dairy farmer, so a couple of farm bills back, we made some changes. It wasn't the best fix. Did some tweaks, have dmc? I think it's working very well. There's a few more things that need would like to see that the base that they use for DMC is updated because it's over 10 years ago that a producer's base is used, and that needs to be. There's also. There were conversation by others today about changing the 950 to increasing it, say, to like 12. Also the number of pounds that can be covered by dmc. Those are all conversations that need to be mulled over and thought about and see if it fits. You know, there's also there the federal milk marketing order that governs how dairy is, you know, how we are paid for milk. It's. It was done in the 30s. So, you know, we're. We're in a place where it's really, really old and there hasn't been much of any change. And so this is an opportunity, I hope, I think, because Covid also brought to light some. Some big holes in some of the things that are there. And so that hopefully is something that they can, you know, make some tweaks on. But Then last I talked about, I felt that Congress really, really fell on their face when they had the opportunity to give every school child free breakfast and lunch. As a taxpayer who is not really, I'm not a person that is all about giving away free things, but if there was something that I can easily jump on, the idea of every school child having free breakfast and free lunch, you know, and it's not just for, it's, it's for farmers, but it's for, for kids, for, for education, for. It's, it's, it's just such a wide thing, it would be such a positive thing that could be done. And so I hope that maybe in this, in this Farm bill, maybe they'll address that. And, and then lastly, which is my own kind of thing, I'm a dairy farmer. I can't stand that the FDA allows veg or plant based beverages to use milk as a label. In their label, it's actually, it's, they're violating the laws of labeling and yet has not been enforced. And so that was another thing I brought up. Yeah, you have to get it when you can.

[Steve Ammerman]

So finally, New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher, a dairy farmer in the north country, addressed the four congressmen who were at the listening session in Binghamton that included House AG Chair G.T. thompson, as well as U.S. representatives from New York, Mark Molinaro and Nick Langworthy, who both also serve on the House Act Committee. Although he's a dairyman, David spoke about some of the programs that can help fruit and vegetable producers in New York include what's called the Non Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program or nap. It's a program that offers crop insurance during natural disasters for a lot of diverse crops that we have in New York that may not otherwise be eligible for some of the more traditional crop insurance programs. Here's David explaining how the Farm Bill helps those New York farmers.

[David Fisher]

We need a strong farm bill in this country because it supports everything that we all need three or more times a day when we eat. And it's a nourishment. So it's a great safety net for the farm community and those producing. And then on the other end, those in need get the support of the SNAP program and those things. So it ties everything together. So it's a great way to have a good bipartisan effort.

[Steve Ammerman]

David, as Judy mentioned, conservation and equip funding are also important. So how does the Farm Bill improve environmental stewardship?

[David Fisher]

Things that will help our members in this Farm Bill are, one of them is because of the diversity of the production we have and specialty crops, but more specifically a lot of our fruits and vegetables to keep the whole farm plan as a pilot and to increase the nap for those folks. Because a lot of that, unless it's a pilot, doesn't work very well for our small growers in New York. That it's not like we plant, you know, a thousand acres of lettuce on any given day. It's more likely that we plant, you know, a very small patch that would be harvested and then a week later another small patch. So that, and then those things in the current program are really inflexible and hard for our small growers to use as far as conservation on our farms. And you know, farmers are very self conscious of and want to do a better job. So probably one of the best things is the equip money in that, you know, we get guidance on decreasing erosion or doing buffer strips or grass waterways and other practices around farmsteads that keep dirty water dirty and clean water clean on farms so that it doesn't end up in the streams and where it shouldn't end up. And when we do that with the through eqip, it's a cost share. So the government helps with engineering and designing and the farmer pays part of it and the government helps pay part of it. So everybody wins. And then a great example that was the New York City watershed years ago. A lot of those practices came through, some of those things and some other monies, but it really worked. And in New York City, when they were looking at having to put in a multimillion or billion dollar water treatment system 25 years ago, learned that working with farmers, they solved the problem. They don't have to do that. They never had to spend that money. And so it's a great story to tell.

[Steve Ammerman]

Finally, food security is something that's come up a lot that we've heard during that listing session. And it's important for people to think about the big picture because we need to keep farms in business during the tough times of low prices and natural disaster in order for the country to produce the food that we need.

[David Fisher]

Food security is really national security in that if we can't take care of ourselves, you know, we saw with the pandemic supply disruptions and changes and things like that. So if it has to come on a boat, that boat could be intercepted. And so if, then, if, then what do you do when you can't feed people? And not only the implications of poverty and starvation, but you know, when in communities where there's no food, it's pretty obvious to see how quick the chaos erupts. And so we just need to be able to be certain that we can take care of ourselves and our country and you know, help feed the world and at the same time so, you know, a lot of our food and products go to other countries and help them.

[Steve Ammerman]

Thanks to David, Judy and Barb for sharing their thoughts about the next farm bill. There are many needs for sure that must be met in that legislation and it's something New York Farm Bureau will be following closely. We encourage our members and the greater public to reach out to their senators and congressional representatives as well to remind them that we need a strong farm bill to support local agriculture all across New York State. So stay tuned. Well, thanks for listening. Today's edition of NEWS bites. Seth Moser Katz is responsible for the recording and editing of this edition. Until next time, make sure to thank a farmer for all that they do.

[David Fisher]

It.