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  • From: "Brenton Johnson" <BHJohnson AT gp.usbr.gov>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Collin Peterson's editorial
  • Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:27:44 -0600

One thing that I noted on the house version is that it reduces the loan
limits available from the Farm Services Agency. Currently one can
borrow up to $200k for land and up to $200k for equipment. The new bill
reduces the loan limit to $300,000 and makes it available for either
land or equipment.

Please plan to attend our potluck and open house Saturday November 3rd
from 1-till dark.

Brenton
www.johnsonsbackyardgarden.com

ps. I will be starting to farm full time and no longer working a
government day job in the next couple of months.

>>> gjbrever AT midwestinfo.net 08/22/07 11:15 AM >>>
On Friday I had an editorial in our newspaper about the new farm bill.
In
today's editorial there is a letter from Collin Peterson ( a rebuttal
to my
letter, I do not know). Anyone have any opinions to the Congressman's

words? I see some small nuggets in the farm bill, including country of

orgin labeling. However, thus far it seems to just be more of the
same--subsidies for the wealthy farmers.
--Gary

By Congressman Collin Peterson


The United States has an excellent system of independent family
farmers.
Survival of the family farm is critical to the future economic
viability of
rural America, and across the nation, strong family farms mean food
safety
and security, at a low cost to consumers.

RELATED CONTENT
Add a comment

In the years I've served Minnesota's Seventh District in Congress, few

moments have been as important to rural America as last week's passage
of a
new Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.


As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I have been given an
opportunity, and a challenging mission, in crafting a Farm Bill that is

representative of and good for the entire country.


While one or two distracting issues in the Farm Bill debate made
headlines,
such as payment limits and false claims of tax increases, the bill we
passed
in the House on July 27 was a true compromise among commodity groups,
regional interests, and conservation advocates, to name a few.


One of the best decisions I've made as chairman was to open up the
process
and give members of the Agriculture Committee an opportunity to gather
input
from their constituencies and use their expertise to write their
respective
sections of the bill.


What we ultimately agreed on, in a bipartisan fashion, was a strong
Farm
Bill that addresses concerns of producers, nutrition and conservation
advocates, and renewable energy efforts.


Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, for fruit, vegetables
and
meat is, in my opinion, one of the most important pieces of this farm
bill
that has impacted consumers in decades. This legislation says that when
you
shop for steak, it will have a label to tell you if it came from China
or if
it came from Minnesota. If you buy strawberries, the label will tell
you if
they were grown in California or Mexico.


Given a choice, most consumers will buy U.S. grown meat, fruits and
vegetables, especially in light of recent problems with food imported
from
China.


This House Farm Bill also makes historic investments in fruit and
vegetable
production, conservation, nutrition and renewable energy while
maintaining a
strong safety net for America's farmers and ranchers.


The bill strengthens and enhances the food stamp program by reforming
benefit rules to improve coverage of food costs and expand access to
the
program with additional funding support.


We addressed rural economic development by including key provisions
that
invest in rural communities nationwide, including economic development

programs and access to broadband telecommunication services.


We addressed important reforms by strengthening payment limits to
ensure
that non-farmers making more than $500,000 (adjusted gross income) can
no
longer collect conservation and farm program payments, and closing
loopholes
that allow people to avoid payment limits by receiving money through
multiple business units.


Conservation funding was increased significantly by extending and
making
critical new investments in popular conservation programs, including
the
Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Environmental
Quality Incentive Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, and
many
others.


Finally, we created a new energy title to make important new
investments in
renewable energy research, development and production in rural
America.


On July 27, The House of Representatives passed the 2007 Farm Bill by a
vote
of 231-191. American consumers got a heck of a deal.


. . .


Peterson is Chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and is
serving
his ninth term in Congress. He is a Democrat from Detroit Lakes.






  • Re: [Market-farming] Collin Peterson's editorial, Brenton Johnson, 10/09/2007

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