Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently discussed the urgency of passing a new farm bill, emphasizing its significance for USDA programs and the stability of rural communities.
Speaking with John Piotti, president and CEO of American Farmland Trust, Vilsack said, “Time is of the essence, we need a farm bill now that works for the many and the most, not just the few.”
Vilsack stressed the need for a comprehensive farm bill that supports all stakeholders, from farmers facing financial pressures to working families.
“The farm bill needs to be one that is not leaving anyone behind, whether that be farmers concerned about losing their farms in tight times or working families struggling to get by,” Vilsack said.
He emphasized the importance of swift bipartisan action by Congress, either through passing a new bill or extending the current one, to avoid the complications of reverting to outdated permanent laws.
“Frankly, the longer we wait, the harder it is to get this done,” Vilsack said. “The common sense, reasonable, bipartisan approach is the only way to accomplish this, and this is what our farmers, rural communities and our working families expect and deserve.”
Vilsack noted that USDA programs funded through the farm bill are essential for economic resilience and innovative agricultural practices, including climate-smart initiatives and conservation projects.
Vilsack also spoke of the success of conservation efforts funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a piece of legislation that has boosted funding for voluntary programs promoting climate-smart agriculture.
“Thanks to the IRA, there are more farms and more acres enrolled in voluntary conservation practice than any single point in our history,” Vilsack said.
Vilsack highlighted that the IRA has allocated $19.5 billion over five years to bolster USDA conservation programs, including $4.95 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). For 2024, RCPP will receive $1.5 billion to fund 92 projects across 40 states.
Vilsack continued that through the USDA’s Climate-Smart Commodities Initiative, more than $3 billion has been invested since 2022 to support sustainable production across 14,000 farms on 3.2 million acres. Additional funds—$850 million in 2023 and up to $5.7 billion planned for 2024—will further assist 28,500 farmers and ranchers in implementing conservation practices on millions of acres.
“So, it’s been an extraordinary three years of investment, an extraordinary year of advancing the climate-smart agenda, and American agriculture is responding, and we’re excited about the potential between now and 2030, which is when the IRA funding potentially lapses,” Vilsack finished. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
