Environment scores high in Crapo’s farm bill meetings
By Blair Koch, Ag Weekly correspondent
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:50 PM CDT
JEROME, Idaho - In order to give Idahoans access to information about the several changes and additions to past farm bill programs, Senator Mike Crapo has sponsored town hall meetings across the state.
On Sept. 18, about 50 people attended one such meeting held at the Jerome City Council chambers.
In addition to concerned producers, the meeting included representatives from several U. S. Department of Agriculture agencies including the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.
State Conservationist Jeff Burwell explained many of the conservation aspects of the bill, officially titled The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.
Conservation accounts for about 9 percent of farm bill funding allocation, Burwell said, with more than $4 billion in new spending provided.
Conservation Reserve Program “is continued with a reduction in the acreage cap to 32 million acres in 2010,” he said. “One thing approved was the reauthorization of the Grassland Reserve Program.”
CRP, providing an average of $41.79 per acre, has more than 700,000 acres enrolled in Idaho
Other conservation program highlights include the creation of the Agriculture Water Enhancement Program to address water conservation and water-quality issues.
The bill also allocates $3.393 billion to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to continue assisting producers in addressing conservation issues.
The major aspect of the farm bill Randy Wheatley, business programs specialist with Idaho Rural Development, wants producers to be aware of are renewable and bioenergy programs.
“The renewable energy program, for on-farm production is available for producers and should be strongly considered,” Wheatley said.
The bill provides $300 million for the Bioenergy Program, which provides incentives for expanding production of advanced biofuels made from agricultural and forestry crops and associated waste material, including animal manure and livestock/food processing waste.
“There is a great potential for Idaho with these programs,” Wheatley said.
Although some producers had questions to changes in crop insurance programs, Idaho Farm Service Agency Executive Director Don Dixon said not all the answers are known yet.
“They’re still working out the details,” Dixon said.
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