House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Michael Conaway introduced his proposal for a 2018 Farm Bill today and announced that the House Agriculture Committee will consider the bill at a markup session next Wednesday, April 18.
Farm Bill conservation programs are our nation’s largest source of funding to help farmers and ranchers be better stewards of our soil, woods, water, and wildlife. With the current Farm Bill scheduled to expire September 30, this is an important step forward in the process of enacting a new Farm Bill.
As with any complex piece of legislation, sorting out all of the provisions will take some time. H.R. 2 appears to include provisions that the Izaak Walton League supports – and provisions we oppose. One example of an area that could be improved is the Crop Insurance title, where the bill should provide a "Good Farmer Discount" (PDF link) for crop insurance premiums to reward farmers who adopt practices that rebuild soil health, thereby reducing their risk of filing a crop insurance claim.
We look forward to continuing to work with the members of the House Agriculture Committee and the full House of Representatives towards a Farm Bill that will restore clean water, regenerate America’s soil, benefit fish and wildlife, and provide additional value for our tax dollars.
For more details on how the 2018 Farm Bill can benefit all Americans, read the IWLA Farm Bill Agenda or email IWLA Agriculture Program Director Duane Hovorka.