• Farm Bill,  General

    Farm Bill Deadline and Stranded Programs

    OEFFA Policy Intern, Amanda Hernandez, in her high tunnel

    Guest blog post by Amanda Hernandez, OEFFA Policy Intern

    Earlier this month, the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson, announced that Congress will have to temporarily extend the 2018 Farm Bill because it will miss the September 30 deadline for enacting its successor. If you are someone who produces or eats food, this extension is extremely vital.

    In brief, the farm bill is a piece of legislation that is renewed every five years and affects our entire food system. It encompasses a variety of programs, from farm subsidies to food assistance. There are two deadlines within the farm bill—the first being September 30, which is the end of the fiscal year (FY), and the second is December 31 which is the end of the crop year. These dates are of high importance because some programs may expire after the FY deadline, while others expire after the crop year.

  • Climate Change,  Conservation,  Farm Bill,  General,  Organic

    Here’s Another Acronym: What is NSAC?

    NSAC Logo

    The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is a coalition of grassroots organizations that focuses on advancing sustainable agriculture and food systems. NSAC accomplishes these goals by advocating for federal policy reforms. Across this network, relationships are built so that we can achieve a nationwide reach of fighting for just, sustainable, and equitable food systems

    OEFFA became a member of NSAC when our policy program was developed more than 11 years ago. Being a member means that we bring issues of importance to our members to the table and are part of the decision-making process. We work together to advance policy to support small and mid-size farmers, protect natural resources, promote healthy rural communities, and ensure equal access to healthy, nutritious food.  

  • Farm Bill

    Let’s Get Started Together: A Beginner’s Guide to the Farm Bill

    Nicole Wolcott headshot

    Hey there! My name is Nicole Wolcott, and I am new to the OEFFA policy team.

    I am thrilled to join this amazing group. Over the past five years, I have been so lucky to have incredible mentors who have coached me in building relationships and movements. I am passionate about making connections and helping to build healthy communities. Now, in this role with OEFFA, I can combine my organizing skills with my love for organic foods. 

    Growing up in the organic food industry, I often thought about why I had such an easy time accessing healthy foods. I found myself wondering, “Why is this a privilege and not a right?” Since moving to Cincinnati, I’ve been diligent in working to broaden my understanding of the inequities and challenges in the food system. Without a background in farming, there is a lot I need to learn.

  • Farm Bill,  General

    What’s OFF with Checkoff Programs?

    Dairy cows in an indoor barn

    The history of checkoffs is full of controversy, greed, and legal challenges. The initial idea was for farmers to pool their resources to boost product sales and increase farm profitability. But, over time, checkoff programs have become a way for corporations to consolidate wealth and power into ever-fewer hands.

  • Climate Change,  Conservation,  Farm Bill,  Marketplace Equity,  Organic

    Key Marker Bills for the 2023 Farm Bill

    Banner image for OEFFA's farm bill platform

    The work on a transformational 2023 Farm Bill is underway as climate scientists, activists, food and agriculture businesses, community leaders, anti-monopoly advocates, and policymakers pool together ideas and input for the new legislation. The reauthorization of the farm bill is supposed to be completed by the end of September. Because of the fight over the country’s debt limit and partisan battles, it will likely take until the end of this year or early next before we have a new farm bill.

    Despite a longer timeline, things are moving and we wanted to lay out the key marker bills OEFFA is supporting.

    A marker bill is legislation that is introduced to advance policy proposals and assess their level of support, with the hope of making it into the first bill draft advanced by the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

  • Farm Bill

    FARM BILL 2023 | Nutrition Marker Bills

    Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council logo

    This post originally appeared on the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council blog. It is the second one in their Farm Bill 2023 series that focuses on marker bills.

    Something you may not know is that the Farm Bill is categorized into twelve titles. Each title focuses on a category of legislative topics related to the food system at the federal level. The fourth title is the Nutrition Title. Our previous marker bill blog post highlighted marker bills from the other eleven titles. The Nutrition Title requires a blog post of its own, because this title receives a massive portion of the funding that is authorized by the Farm Bill.

  • Climate Change,  Farm Bill,  Organic,  State Policy

    OEFFA Members Making Change

    Amalie Lipstreu and other organic advocates on the steps of the US Capitol Building

    There are few windows of opportunity to make changes to something as big as our food and farming system. When those opportunities present themselves, we have to be prepared to act. Fortunately, OEFFA staff and members have been working for months to advance positive change.

    Last year, OEFFA members attended community and virtual listening sessions or participated in an online survey leading to the development of OEFFA’s 2023 Farm Bill priorities. During the fall, member leaders and staff formed groups to support beginning and BIPOC farmers, increase investments in organic and sustainable research and regional food systems, address consolidation, and promote soil health and climate resilience.

  • Farm Bill,  Organic

    NOC Members Urge Congressional Leaders to Advance Organic Agriculture

    National Organic Coalition fly-in participants

    This post originally appeared on the National Organic Coalition (NOC) blog.

    Twenty six farmers, scientists, policy advocates and organic company representatives from the National Organic Coalition advocated for organic agriculture last week in Washington, D.C. On Wednesday, we criss-crossed Capitol Hill, where we met with 56 Congressional Offices. 24 meetings were with Members of Congress (or their staff) who sit on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees – the committees responsible for writing the 2023 Farm Bill.

    During visits with congressional offices, we focused on four themes to advance organic in the 2023 Farm Bill:

    • A proposed Opportunities in Organic Program, which will establish a suite of flexible, easy-to-access tools to reduce barriers to organic agriculture.
    • Strengthening organic integrity, which is all about ensuring the continuous improvement of USDA’s organic standards.
    • Expanding organic research, which will provide tools to address production, marketing and environmental challenges.
    • Strengthening USDA’s conservation programs for organic farmers, which highlights that organic farming is climate-smart and environmentally sound.
  • Farm Bill

    This is What Democracy Looks Like: OEFFA Hits Capitol Hill to Talk About the Farm Bill

    Organic grain farmer Eli Dean (left) with OEFFA policy staff Amalie Lipstreu (center) and Julia Barton (right)

    From January 29-February 1, OEFFA members and staff were on Capitol Hill as part of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s winter meeting and lobby day. It’s the first of four times OEFFA will be meeting with federal legislators to discuss the farm bill in the first three months of 2023!

    Policy Director Amalie Lipstreu, Organic Policy Specialist Julia Barton, organic grain farmer Eli Dean, and Celeste Treece with Ag Noire and the Jackson Street Produce Market met with five of Ohio’s Congressional offices to discuss OEFFA’s priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill:

  • Climate Change,  Conservation,  Farm Bill

    A Transformational Approach to the 2023 Farm Bill

    a farmer spraying chemicals on a conventional soybean farm

    Written by Ricardo Salvador, 2023 OEFFA Conference Keynote

    The upcoming reauthorization of the farm bill will be the 23rd iteration of this legislation. According to Jonathan Coppess and Chris Adamo—Vermont Law School teachers of a course on the “modern farm bill”—this version could be revolutionary. They see the main driver of this potential departure being the role agriculture could play in mitigating climate change. 

    A Push for Business As Usual—But a Need for Something New

    A problem with this otherwise sensible prediction is that it would require genuine change in farm practices and the policies that incentivize and support the structure of farming.

    Already, the incoming chair of the House Agriculture Committee is on record stating that he “will not have us suddenly incorporate buzzwords like regenerative agriculture into the farm bill or overemphasize climate.” The president of the Iowa Farm Bureau—the most influential state chapter of the powerful national federation—wants the bill to stay the same, and continue to distribute public largesse without any expectation that it will return verifiable environmental benefits.