Andrew McElwaine, President and CEO of the American Farmland Trust, issued the following statement on the status of negotiations in Congress on the federal Farm Bill as Americans sat down to their Thanksgiving dinners--

“Congressional negotiators are working on the final phase of the 2013 Farm Bill, and everything is on the negotiating table.

“The American Farmland Trust has been working to protect funding for farmland conservation programs, but we need your help.

“Thanks to the efforts of thousands of concerned citizens, American Farmland Trust successfully delivered over 25,000 messages to Congress earlier this year demanding that they get to work on a final Farm Bill.

“And they got results. The Farm Bill conference committee was named within weeks of that outpouring of support. Now, more help is needed to produce final results for farmland protection.

“Farm Bill negotiators will return to Washington D.C. in December to try to finish this important legislation and they need to hear from concerned citizens.

“Send a message to your members of Congress today, telling them funding is important for farmland protection!

“As a nation, we have so much to be thankful for, including our highly productive farmland. The Farm Bill provides the single largest federal investment in farmland conservation. Nearly 1.1 million acres of farmland have been permanently protected, ensuring that vital resource remains in agriculture for generations to come.

“There is an exciting new program to build on these efforts called the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program or ACEP, but to make sure it is effective we need to ensure agricultural land easements are provided the highest possible funding level.

“More than ever, we need a new, comprehensive Farm Bill that reinvests in farmland conservation, that provides sound conservation practices and that helps farmers stay on the land. We have come too far and there is too much at stake for Congress to not finish the job.

“As you celebrate the bounty our farmland provides, please take a few minutes during this busy holiday time to lend your voice to protecting America’s farmland.

“Thank you for all that you do to support farmland conservation in your community and across the nation.”

A sample message to members of Congress follows--

Dear Decision Maker:

“I write in support of strong conservation programs as part of a final farm bill conference report. Funding for conservation is vital for continued protection of farmland and natural resources across the country.

“Farmland protection is a critical component of this bill. A final farm bill should retain the 40 percent funding floor for agricultural land easements (ALE) within the newly combined Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) as provided for in the House-passed bill. It should also retaining funding for the ACEP as provided for in the Senate-passed bill at $2.2 billion.

“By including these provisions, adequate resources would be provided for the combined function of the program so that our productive farmlands, our pristine grasslands and our valuable wetlands can continue to be protected under conservation easements. Providing these resources will help further reduce the threat to these lands that sustain us with food, wildlife and clean water.

“Farmland is at the heart of America’s land conservation and our ability to produce nutritious and affordable local food. I appreciate you considering my views and thank you for your important work to protect our nation’s farmland.”

Find your member of Congress: House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

The American Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices and keeping farmers on the land.

For more information on the policies and programs of the American Farmland Trust, visit www.farmland.org, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanFarmland or Twitter www.twitter.com/farmland.

12/2/2013