The American Farmland Trust called on Congress Monday to pass the new Farm Bill.  The bill includes a number of American Farmland Trust's legislative priorities that will help preserve agricultural land, promote sound farming practices, and help keep farmers on the land.

Among the key positions in the new Farm Bill AFT supports are:

-- An investment of $2 billion in conservation easements, helping limit the loss of our nation's working farms and ranch lands to non-farm uses;

-- Requiring conservation compliance requirements for federal crop insurance premium assistance. This provision will help protect highly erodible soils and wetlands and provide a safety net for both our nation's farmers and our natural resources;

-- Reauthorizing the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) at $8 billion;

-- Providing for 10 million acres per year to be enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program; and

-- $1 billion for targeted conservation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

"For these reasons, the Trust calls upon Congress to promptly pass the pending Farm Bill," said Andrew McElwaine, President and CEO of AFT.  "As with any compromise there are pros and cons, but on the whole we congratulate the House and Senate Agriculture Committees for coming together to craft a bill.  We look forward to its swift enactment.”

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, visit the American Farmland Trust website.

NewsClips: Federal Farm Bill Passes House, Heads To Senate

2/3/2014