Harkin Outlines His Farm Bill

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Thursday outlined his farm bill proposal that concentrates on conservation, expands production of farm-based renewable energy, seeks to protect farm income and create new economic opportunities in rural communities. Harkin said his proposal is the right approach to farm policy in the 21st century. The proposal builds on core farm programs that work and charts a new, conservation-oriented policy for the future, according to Harkin.

"This proposal makes good on my commitment to make our national farm policy work for farmers, our environment and rural communities," he said. "I believe that my four-pronged approach – to promote conservation, protect and boost income, expand jobs and economic opportunity in rural communities and increase renewable energy production – provides the solid foundation we need to help ensure our farm families and rural areas prosper well into the 21st century."

--Conservation: As the "cornerstone" of his proposal, Harkin would create the Conservation Security Act that provides flexible incentives for farmers to employ new conservation practices and rewards farmers who already employ them. Harkin detailed his conservation title earlier in the week. The provision increases acreage for the Conservation Reserve Program to 40 million acres; increases the annual acreage of the Wetlands Reserve Program to 250,000 acres annually; increases funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program up to $950 million a year; increases funding for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program to $100 million annually; expands the Agricultural Land Protection Program to include prairie and ramps up annual funding to $250 million; enacts a new grassland reserve program; permanently authorizes the Resource Conservation and Development Program.

--Income protection and commodities: Harkin's proposal is designed to improve farm income protection by increasing loan rates for most commodities, setting a floor on those rates, continuing fixed direct payments and creating a new counter-cyclical income protection system. In addition, farmers can receive income support through the new conservation incentives program described above.

--Jobs and economic growth in rural areas: Harkin's rural development title provides grant and loan programs to help create and expand businesses to provide jobs, and assists communities by helping to improve their municipal facilities. Highlights include programs that will provide equity capital for businesses that want to start or expand in rural America. In one case, the title creates a National Rural Cooperative and Business Equity Fund with matching government and private capital to create a national fund to boost equity for rural America. The title also expands grants for farmer-based groups to help them add value to their production, helping to boost farm income and create jobs, it provides funding to expand broadband access for rural Americans, and provides grants to improve firefighter and first responder training. Through this title assistance is provided to businesses and residences to help improve a wide range of quality-of-life issues for rural residents, including the improvement of drinking water, sewer and community facilities, day care and senior centers.

--Energy: Harkin's proposal provides a range of initiatives designed to help and encourage farmers and ranchers to develop renewable energy projects including wind, solar, biomass and geothermal sources. These projects are designed to help increase farm and rural incomes, improve air quality and promote the nation's energy security. Specifically, the energy title establishes renewable energy development grant program; creates competitive energy audit and renewable energy development program to administer farmer, rancher and rural small business energy audits and renewable energy development assessments; provides grants to farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements; provides financial and technical assistance for renewable energy systems; establishes mandatory federal purchasing requirement for biobased products if on the USDA's biobased products list; establishes competitive grant program to support commercialization of new and emerging technologies for the conversion of cellulose biomass into petroleum substitutes; extends Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 to 2006.

Harkin also provided details for titles including nutrition, research, forestry, credit, competition, and trade.

A summary of the bill is available on the Internet at Summary of Harkin's Farm Bill