Hart, Tex. (AgPR) May 31, 2022– American Agri-Women (AAW) released the recommendations of their Farm Bill Task Force this week. AAW President Heather Hampton+Knodle said their philosophy is to focus on fundamentals of on-farm flexibility, access to capital and programs, and promotion of US-grown products.
“Innovation happens every day on farms and ranches. Our members were concerned by prescriptive requirements in conservation programs that limit their abilities to manage on-the-ground, real-time decisions that will ultimately be the best for the soils, plants and animals in their local environment,” said Hampton+Knodle.
AAW recommends conservation programs that allow farmers and ranchers flexibility in selecting their choice of private industry technical experts and service providers that meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) technical criteria and qualifications. Members also endorsed removing criteria from easements that limit livestock grazing patterns during hunting seasons. Enabling joint research capabilities between NRCS and institutions of higher learning with qualified agriculture programs and setting easement rates below local cash rent rates were other points within the Conservation section.
Hampton+Knodle noted that another example of flexibility to farm can be seen with the expansion of precision agriculture technologies and their ability to tailor cropping patterns and land management decisions within fields. She said that’s a reason why the organization supports applying conservation funding to accelerate adoption of technologies for varied farm sizes and applications in conjunction with expanded on-farm research trials.
AAW highlighted the need to have consistent definitions for terms of ‘disadvantaged’, ‘rural’, and ‘underserved’ through USDA programs. Hampton+Knodle said, “Our members also want the government to abide by eligibility requirements that recognize women as disadvantaged farmers and consider any young farmer who may have experience earning income from farming or ranching through their high school and college years as eligible for ‘beginning farmer’ grant and loan programs.”
The document features support for cornerstone programs of the Farm Bill such as continuing food and nutrition programs, sustaining crop insurance as a risk management tool, and investing in research at a range of universities and USDA labs as well as recommendations for rural development programs and active forest management. The Task Force engaged members ranging from west coast wineries and timber production, sunbelt produce growers, to canned vegetable bean, sugar beet, cotton, wheat, soybean and corn production in the Midwest and exporters, meat and potato processing on the east coast.
AAW is the nation’s largest coalition of women in farming, ranching and agribusiness, representing women in 42 states. The 2022 version of the 2023 Farm Bill Recommendations can be found at www.americanagriwomen.org or directly at https://americanagriwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-FARM-BILL-2023-WHITE-PAPER.pdf. For more information, contact AAW President Heather Hampton+Knodle at 217-538-2171 or Vice President of Communications, Laura Hart at communications@americanagriwomen.org
About American Agri-Women
American Agri-Women (AAW) promotes the welfare of our national security through a safe and reliable food, fiber and energy supply. Since 1974, AAW members have worked together to educate consumers, advocate for agriculture, and offer networking and professional development opportunities. Go to the AAW website for more information and to join, www.americanagriwomen.org. Find AAW on social media at: Facebook.com/AgriWomen/, Twitter.com/Women4Ag/ (@Women4Ag) and Instagram.com/americanagriwomen/(@americanagriwomen. #standupspeakout4ag