Bill Continued from Page 1
he first sent photos and videos of his fields resembling a lake. He said USDA has “al- ready determined it was a total loss,” but he has yet to see any payments. Zamora said many small farms impact- ed by flooding are “going belly up” and defaulting on loans, even though federal safety net programs such as ECP are sup- posed to help farmers, so they don’t go out of business when natural disasters strike. The farm bill, he said, should address such program shortfalls. “I know the government is making changes,” Zamora said. “The issue here is that the changes take forever.” Durst said he sees opportunities for organic farmers in federal nutrition pro- grams that increase purchases from lo- cal farms, whether the food is for feeding schools, hospitals or prisons. Such pro- grams help stimulate the local economy by allowing dollars to circulate within rural communities, he said. Rather than subsidizing organic farm- ers, Durst said he would rather see more federal money go to improving market ac- cess for organic farmers to help them sell their products. “If they have a good, healthy market, they’ll make money,” he said. Zamora said research and technical as- sistance that help him make crop decisions on the farm also provide “an extra layer of protection.” He noted how information
from University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors about soil tem- perature this past spring made him forgo planting crops such as corn and squash, both of which would have yielded poorly due to cool weather conditions. Gordon Merrick, policy and pro- grams manager for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, said he thinks or- ganic agriculture is at an “inflection point” that would allow organic farmers to make a case for more research funding specific to their needs. The $63 billion organic food and fiber sector, which represents more than 6% of total U.S. food sales, is no longer seen as merely a marketing niche or tool but rather “a big economic driver,” he said. At the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture, organic programs make up less than 2% of its budget. The USDA Agricultural Research Service devotes less than 1% of its budget to studying organic. “We want to see at least 6% of those re- search dollars going to organic research topics,” Merrick said. Organic farmers did win a notable battle during development of the 2018 Farm Bill: They secured mandatory fund- ing levels for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. That means even if the current farm bill laps- es, which Merrick said looks increasingly likely, there would be “some type of con- tinuing resolution or other mechanism
to maintain mandatory funding levels.” “Now we can really be focused on mak- ing sure things are improving and getting better rather than just trying to focus all of our energy on safeguarding and mak- ing sure the program has some amount of funding to continue,” he added. His organization supports the Organic Science and Research Investment Act introduced in the Senate and the Strengthening Organic Agriculture Research Act in the House, both of which would increase funds for organic research, Merrick said. Research priorities go beyond prac- tices and techniques that help farmers in the field. Merrick said one big prior- ity during the current farm bill cycle is to secure USDA more funding to study the economic impact organic agricul- ture has on rural and urban commu- nities. He noted a 2016 study by Penn State University shows that U.S. organic “hotspots,” or regions with high levels of organic agricultural activity, boost local economies. “Organic creates wealth,” Merrick said. “Policymakers want to know these things so they can create effective policy. I do think now more than ever, that’s being recognized in Congress.” (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)
insurance have been less helpful, he said. That’s because farm bills have traditionally been geared to support major commodi- ties such as corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice and dairy. Durst said the cost of fed- eral crop insurance is usually too high for smaller farms such as his that grow high- er-value specialty crops, the compensation for which he says is too low. Javier Zamora, who farms organic fruit, vegetables and flowers in Monterey County, described his frustration trying to get insurance payment after a third of his farm was flooded earlier this year. This is his sixth year carrying crop insurance and the first time he’s filed a claim. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, he said, has “absolutely no idea how to handle a diversified specialty crop grower.” “They were like, ‘Quite honestly, we nev- er really had a claim for strawberries,’” he said. “I’m like, what are you doing selling insurance policies if you have no idea? You want my $20,000 payment, but now you tell me you don’t have the expertise to handle a loss on strawberries.” Zamora said he faced “so much red tape” trying to seek further assistance through the federal Emergency Conservation Program, which helps farmers repair damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters. He described the process as “a nightmare,” as months have gone by since
Open now through September 30 JOIN THIS YEAR’S PHOTO CONTEST!
Prizes: 1st place $1,000
Enter up to fi ve high-resolution digital photos online at cfbf.com/photocontest Submit photos of fresh food, rural scenery, animals, crops, harvests, life, work, family or any inspiring photo captured on the farm or ranch.
2nd place $500 3rd place $250 4th place $100 Honorable Mentions $50 (six winners) Budding Artists
(ages 13 & younger) 1st place $250 2nd place $100
The contest is open to amateur photographers who are Farm Bureau members. Participants who are not Farm Bureau members can visit cfbf.com/join to learn about becoming a member. Go to cfbf.com/photocontest for contest rules.
2022 1st place winner Maddison Easley, Nevada County
August 23, 2023 Ag Alert 19
Powered by FlippingBook