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by Joe Cornely and Chris Noun, AFBF

Passage of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 is a victory for farmers, consumers, the environment and the rural community, according to leaders of the Ohio and American Farm Bureau Federations.

OFBF Executive Vice President Jack Fisher said, "For the next 10 years, farmers will know what the rules are, and consumers won’t have to worry where their food comes from."

According to AFBF President Bob Stallman, "The predictable long-term farm policy spelled out by this farm bill is far more desirable to the ad-hoc income disaster payments of the past few years. Adoption of this farm bill assures farmers and our lenders that we will have an adequate safety net in place and prevent the need to rely on emergency assistance."

OFBF Vice President of Government Affairs Keith Stimpert was quick to compliment Farm Bureau volunteers for their efforts. "Through our policy development process and our special farm bill task force, members put a lot of thought into what direction this farm bill should go. Our county president’s trip, and plenty of other member contact, made sure lawmakers knew Farm Bureau’s priorities."

Farm Bureau sought, and achieved, a bill that provides producers with an improved safety net during times of low commodity prices. The bill's combination of a counter-cyclical payment, a direct payment and a marketing loan will help many farm families survive this long period of rock-bottom prices and soaring production costs. According to one economic study, the commodity provisions of this bill should boost net farm income by an average of $3.8 billion per year.

Beyond economic support for agriculture, this farm bill is being hailed as the strongest yet in terms of conservation and benefits for the environment. The new farm bill puts in place a strong conservation program that includes incentives for farmers to improve resource conservation.

Another positive impact of the new farm bill is its investment of money in rural communities that depend on farming. Money included in the farm bill will help steer private investment dollars to our rural areas, revitalizing and stimulating rural economies.

Now that the legislative work is finished, putting the law to work lies ahead. According to Stallman, "Prompt implementation of the farm bill is imperative. Farmers throughout the country have already begun to plant this year's crops. Producers need to know immediately the rules and regulations under which they must operate."

Cutline:OFBF County Presidents in Washington earlier this year listened attentively and spoke eloquently while lobbying Congress on the 2002 farm bill. The work paid off.