An important date for farmers has passed. The Farm Bill officially expired on September 30, 2024. What happens next? Various farm bill commodity support programs will be extended until the end of the year, but then they need to be replaced. Congress has a guarantee, built into the law, based on parity, but almost all experts expect that Congress will need to prevent return of these old programs, so expect some type of action soon on a farm bill.  The current farm bill has been in place since 2018 and extended. The last several years, climate-focused conservation programs have been a major focus. Programs on storing carbon long-term and reducing greenhouse gases have been a priority, but the base money for that program has run out. The new Inflation Reduction Act added $18 billion dollars for climate-smart or climate-related conservation programs, and that does not run out until 2031. Examples include the Conservation Stewardship Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQI...

  The US Farm Bill talks are now starting and a recent poll by Morning Consult (Walton Family Foundation) shows that voters support sustainable farming practices. Most Americans understand that keeping farming profitable is important for our national security but they also want healthy food and water and they support farming practices that make agriculture sustainable. Key summary points from this poll: “Nearly 90% of Americans believe that it is important to update and encourage sustainable farming practices that support clean water and healthy, productive soil." “Roughly 80% of Americans also support modernizing the Farm Bill to support farmers as they implement more sustainable farming practices.” A key Walton Foundation Conclusion of this poll was: "Supporting farmers to grow food more sustainably is a way to protect people and nature together. This should be a priority in the Farm Bill, and also a call to action to the food industry – people are hungry for sustainable op...