2012 Farm Bill

The federal Farm Bill is vitally important to the Northeast region—it influences our nutrition and public health, our environment and our economy.  Nutrition, agricultural research, rural development, farm conservation, and farm support programs are all authorized, funded and fundamentally shaped by this all-encompassing piece of federal legislation which Congress will attempt to rewrite in 2012. 

With the 2012 Farm Bill, we have a chance to support and protect programs that have led to a decade-long expansion of farming opportunity, land conservation, and agricultural development in the Northeast and throughout the country. There are exciting new opportunities for local farming and food system development, and with increased public awareness and the change in Agriculture Committees, we have a chance to better shape these policies. However, current Congressional deficit reduction efforts threaten to eliminate many of the gains that have strengthened our local and regional food system. 

Our goal in the next few months is to develop specific policy priorities and circulate them to:

• Inform our members of Congress as they engage in the debate about food and farm system priorities;
• Help farmers and consumers understand agriculture priorities for our region, and understand how federal policy supports or undermines those priorities;
• Protect policies critical to assuring equitable policy returns to our region; and
• Forge a stronger coalition for agriculture to lead future discussions about and advocate for the region’s food and farm priorities.

New England Farmers Union

Northeast Organic Farming Association – Interstate Council NY, MA, RI, VT, CT, NH, NJ

NYC Food & Farm Bill Working Group

American Farmland Trust

Black Urban Growers

Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

City Seed New Haven, CT

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Community Food Security Coalition

Council of State Governments

Farm Aid

Farm Fresh Rhode Island

Farmers Market Coalition

Fay-Penn Economic Development Council

Food Systems Network NYC

Future Harvest – CASA (Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture)

Health Care Without Harm

Hunger Action Network of NY State

Island Grown Initiative Vineyard Haven, MA

Just Food

Land for Good Keene

Maine Rural Partners

Massachusetts Food Policy Alliance

MOFGA Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Association

National Organic Coalition

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition-NSAC

National Young Farmers’ Coalition

Neighborhood Food Coop Association

New England Governors' Conference

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project

Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture-NEASDA

Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance NODPA

Northeast States Association for Ag Stewardship (NSAAS)

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture School Food Focus

Sierra Club Agriculture Committee

Slow Food USA

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

The Food Trust, Philadelphia

Union of Concerned Scientists Food and Environment Program

Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED), NOFA VT

Wholesome Wave

National Family Farm Coalition