A functional farm safety net is essential for wheat producers, who are involved in one of the riskiest industries in our economy.

NAWG advocates for components of the safety net that are reliable, provide meaningful coverage for producers throughout the country and are mindful of the world-wide marketplace in which our commodities operate.

2008 Farm Bill

Back in 2006, the producers on NAWG’s Board of Directors identified protecting the direct payment as wheat’s top priority for the farm bill process – no small feat considering both Chairmen of the Congressional Agriculture Committees joined many other interests in supporting its reduction or elimination.

Ultimately, a lot of leg work and partnerships with like-minded Members of Congress prevailed over big city editorial boards and historic budget problems, and the direct payment program was preserved with only small cuts in three of the five years covered by the 2008 Farm Bill. Other significant victories were achieved in farm policy, conservation, energy and other policy areas.

As the many provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are implemented by USDA agencies, NAWG continues to follow those issues that will have a significant effect on how well the 2008 Farm Bill’s safety net functions for growers.

For more about provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill, please see:

• an informal, one-page PDF summary of the commodity title, available here.
• a presentation on the 2008 Farm Bill from John Johnson, then-deputy administrator for farm programs for USDA’s Farm Service Agency, given Oct. 31, 2008.
• USDA’s Economic Research Service page on the 2008 Farm Bill.
• title-by-title fact sheets from the House Agriculture Committee.

The dozens of letters, statements and official comments to Congress on farm bill issues produced in NAWG’s 2008 Farm Bill policy formation process are available in the 2008 Farm Bill archive page, available here.

2012 Farm Bill Process

NAWG has taken seriously the charge from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and others to start now with our analysis and discussions with respect to the next generation of farm policy.

NAWG Second Vice President Erik Younggren provided NAWG’s first testimony as part of the 2012 Farm Bill process in late June to the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.

Younggren offered details about wheat growers’ experiences with 2008 Farm Bill programs and discussed growers’ concerns about the increasing complexity of the farm safety net and the budget baseline challenges Members will face when writing the 2012 bill.

Younggren also revealed some initial findings from a survey of NAWG members done to solicit feedback on existing and future farm policy options:

• Overall, 558 survey responses were collected.
• 90 percent of respondents identified themselves as growers and 65 percent identifying wheat as their primary crop.
• When asked to rate the effectiveness of the current farm bill in providing a safety net for their farms, survey respondents answered in a near bell curve, with a slight bias toward less effective than more effective.

Based on these results and other input, NAWG committees and grower-leaders have started exploring the best possible ways to “fill in the gaps” in current programs – whether that means continuing to improve the current structure or recommending new concepts.

Younggren’s written testimony is available in full here.

Facts About Farm Policy

It’s important to separate fact from myth when talking about farm policy. To facilitate this process during the 2008 Farm Bill debate, NAWG and other leading farm organizations formed Farm Policy Facts, a coalition dedicated to educating Congress and the American people about agriculture’s contribution to a strong and vibrant United States. Visit the Farm Policy Facts Web site here.