CONCORD, N.H. – February 4, 2014 — Farmers across the country are celebrating the passing of a new five-year farm bill in the Senate today.

There is great risk to farming. The farm bill has been designed with that in mind, and will help farmers manage that risk. Food producers deal with uncontrollable factors such as weather, disease, pests and take on financial risks that most entrepreneurs wouldn’t even consider.
The bill expands crop insurance and helps create public/private partnerships. This system will enable farmers to invest in their own risk management and keep Americans well fed.

Here in New Hampshire, Frank Whittemore with Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, can sleep a bit better knowing his family’s livelihood is well protected. The apple and corn crops are insured as well as coverage from FSA on all other crops. Insurance reform is welcoming news. “Insurance protects our income so we can stay in business on off-years,” said Whittemore. “The new programs will definitely help anyone in the business of agriculture.”

The new farm bill provides historic reforms to dairy policy by repealing outdated and ineffective dairy programs and installing a new income safety net at reduced government expense from previous farm bills. It offers producers a new, voluntary, margin protection program without imposing government-mandated supply controls. The program consists of a two-tiered margin insurance pricing system, with lower premiums for smaller dairy farms (roughly under 200 cows) while larger farms would have considerably higher program costs. “In general, New Hampshire’s typically smaller dairy farms should benefit. In the event of future milk price fluctuations, hopefully this program will help stabilize returns for dairy farms found here in the Granite State.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on January 29.  It includes about $500 billion in funding, most of which is designated towards Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food stamp program.

The New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation looks forward to the president signing the bill as soon as possible.