Senate Introduces Bipartisan Farm Bill With Big Wins For Young Farmers

NYFC praises investments in farmer training, farmland protection, and racial equity

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 8, 2018) – The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) praised the bipartisan farm bill draft released by the Senate Agriculture Committee, including increased funding for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, investments and reforms to preserve farmland for the next generation, and expansion of local and regional food programs. NYFC celebrated the inclusion of a number of key provisions from its comprehensive platform, the Young Farmer Agenda.

“Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow are listening to our nation's young farmers,” said Lindsey Lusher Shute, NYFC’s co-founder and Executive Director. “Despite a challenging budget and political climate, we’re thrilled to see program investments that will support the next generation and the inclusion of policy changes that will make programs better-suited for all farmers. We are also pleased to see additional funding for programs targeting socially disadvantaged farmers, conservation partnerships, and concrete steps to make farmers more resilient in the face of climate change.

Like every bipartisan compromise, today’s draft bill isn’t perfect. As we move forward and conduct a full analysis, NYFC looks forward to collaborating with the Committee and every Member of the Senate to make this a farm bill for the future. We thank Senators Roberts and Stabenow for putting ideology and partisanship aside and working to address the urgent needs of America's farmers and the communities they feed. In stark contrast to the House process, this is how a farm bill should be done.”

The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) is a national advocacy network of young farmers fighting for the future of agriculture. Visit NYFC on the web at www.youngfarmers.org, and on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.