WineAmerica Joins Call for Farm Bill Passage This Year

WineAmerica, as part of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, joined numerous other agriculture organizations in sending a letter to leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees urging passage of the new Farm Bill this year. A continuation of current law with an extension of the 2008 bill into next year, as others have called for, would push the 2012 bill’s passage into a worse budget climate and make the future of several wine / grape program priorities more uncertain. Therefore, we fully support passage this year of the 2012 Farm Bill and will continue to push Congress to take action now rather than later.   The letter follows:

February 10, 2012
 

The Honorable Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman 

The Honorable Pat Roberts, Ranking Member
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510 

The Honorable Frank Lucas, Chairman 

The Honorable Collin Peterson, Ranking Member
Committee on Agriculture Committee on Agriculture
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Senators Stabenow and Roberts and Representatives Lucas and Peterson:

The 2012 farm bill is among the most important pieces of legislation the U.S. Congress will
consider this year. We the undersigned have heard calls for an extension of current law. We ask
you to reject these calls for delay and aggressively act to ensure that a new, comprehensive farm
bill is passed this year.

Farmers need a safety net that works more effectively, and they need access to tools that help
them be good stewards of our natural resources. The farm bill also provides essential resources
to prevent hunger, which is especially critical during these tough economic times. The bill also
addresses short and long-term job creation through streamlined and targeted rural economic
development policies and investments in agricultural research.

A temporary extension of current policy creates tremendous uncertainty while serving to further
none of these needs. We, therefore, stand ready to help you in an effort to pass a full,
comprehensive reauthorization of the farm bill this year, without needless delay or disruption.
 

Sincerely,
 

American Farm Bureau Federation
American Farmland Trust
American Society of Agronomy
American Soybean Association
American Sugar Alliance
Aquatic Plant Management Society
Association of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Board on Agriculture Assembly of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
Center for Rural Affairs
Community Food Security Coalition
Council for Agricultural Science & Technology (CAST)
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CropLife America
Crop Life & Reinsurance Bureau
Crop Science Society of America
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Defense Fund
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy
Fair Food Network
Green for All
Housing Assistance Council
Institute of Food Technologists
Izaak Walton League of America
Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Land Trust Alliance
League of Rural Voters
Midwest Dairy Coalition
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
National Agricultural Biotechnology Council (NABC)
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Counties
National Association of Development Organizations
National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils
National Association of Towns and Townships
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Audubon Society
National Barley Growers Association
National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NCBI)
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Coalition for Food & Agricultural Research
National Corn Growers Association
National Farmers Union
National Milk Producers Federation
National Organic Coalition
National Rural Health Association
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Wildlife Federation
North Central Weed Science Society
Organic Farming Research Foundation
Organic Trade Association
Partners for Rural America
Pheasants Forever
Pollinator Partnership
3
Quail Forever
Rain and Hail
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Rural Community Insurance Services
Slow Food USA
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Soil Science Society of America
Southern Weed Science Society
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance
The Nature Conservancy
The Wildlife Society
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Union of Concerned Scientists
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
USA Dry Bean & Lentil Council
US Canola Association
US Composting Council
US Rice Producers Association
Weed Science Society of America
Western Peanut Growers Association
Western Society of Weed Science
World Wildlife Fund
 

cc: The Honorable John Boehner
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
The Honorable Harry Reid
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Members of House and Senate Agriculture Committees