Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, released the following statement today after she voted with a majority of her colleagues to pass the bipartisan Agricultural Act of 2014, also known as the Farm Bill.

“After working on this legislation for nearly a year and speaking with farmers, foresters, and consumers all across New Hampshire, I was proud to join Republicans and Democrats to pass the Farm Bill,” Kuster said.  “This legislation isn’t perfect, but it is a true compromise that will provide our agricultural producers with the support they need to thrive and continue providing Granite Staters with fresh, nutritious, and safe food.

“This Farm Bill makes great strides in providing support for the growing local foods movement and for beginning farmers and ranchers,” she said. “As the first New Hampshire Representative to serve on the Agriculture Committee in more than seventy years, I’m proud to have worked to include Granite State priorities in the bill, including support for organic farmers, healthy forests, and wildlife conservation. And as a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am particularly pleased that this bill contains several provisions to assist veterans pursuing careers in agriculture.”

Among other highlights, the Farm Bill directs an additional $20 million in funding each year to food banks across the country, including the New Hampshire Food Bank. It also includes support for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership that will bring fresh and nutritious food to underserved areas, including New Hampshire’s North Country.

The Farm Bill also contains several provisions authored or championed by Rep. Kuster, including:

• Efforts to ensure that funding for wildlife habitats through the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) is preserved at no less than five percent of available Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds
   
• A requirement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program (RD) work with rural community colleges to develop a coordinated strategy for how federal programs can be best utilized to support community and technical colleges in rural areas
   
• Authorization for funding to support grants to state governments and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry
   
• Language to ensure that American forest products are included in the USDA’s BioPreferred labeling program, which promotes the increased purchase and use of biobased products

“With this vote behind us, Congress must now come together again and pass an extension of Emergency Unemployment Compensation for the 1.6 million Americans who have lost this critical assistance," Kuster said.  "By finding efficiencies and eliminating wasteful direct payment subsidies, the Farm Bill saves $16 billion.  These savings provide more than enough funding to extend this vital lifeline for Granite Staters and other Americans who are still struggling to find work.  We must take action and extend unemployment insurance benefits now.”

Additional information about the Agricultural Act can be found here.

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AgricultureActOf2014.pdf