Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

in this section: TAKE ACTION, Background info.

The Future of Food, Farming, and the Environment Are At Stake!

Working together, our community has achieved important wins for sustainable agriculture through advocacy on past food and farm bills.All those achievements are at risk right now!

Congress has established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the “Super Committee,” which is tasked with cutting $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade. Those budget cuts will either:
- protect the status quo in agriculture, deepening negative trends and starving out positive programs;
- or, they will help make our nation’s agriculture policy better.

Congressmembers from the Carolinas will have a big impact on these decisions.

South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina, is a member of the Super Committee and will be making decisions soon.
North Carolina Representatives Renee Ellmers, Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell sit on the House Agriculture Committee, and their views will influence the Super Committee’s decisions.

If you are represented by these Congressmembers, it is vital that they hear from you today!

TAKE ACTION

Sustainable agriculture and conservation programs have already been slashed in the 2011 budget—while the huge direct payments and subsidies for industrial agriculture went untouched. This is unfair and harmful to our nation’s farmers, our health and our soil and water resources. The Super Committee must protect sustainable ag from further cuts, and reform the subsidies that favor business as usual in industrial ag.

It just takes a minute to call your member of Congress. If the line is busy, please leave a brief message on the voicemail.

Rep. Clyburn, SC District: 202-225-3315
Rep. Ellmers, NC 2d District: 202-225-4531
Rep. McIntyre, NC 7th District: 202-225-2731
Rep. Kissell, NC 8th District: 202-225-3715

Here’s the Message to Send:

I am a constituent, calling to urge Representative ________ to support a fair and balanced approach to food and agricultural spending in the deficit reduction bill.

Farm conservation and environmental programs have already been cut deeply and should not be cut any further.
Farm commodity, insurance, and disaster program reform is long overdue. Reform should reduce spending, maintain a smaller more targeted farm safety net, and reinvest in job-creating rural economic development, local and regional food systems, and young and beginning farmers.
Rural America deserves investments to generate jobs, help communities benefit from their agricultural resources, and support farmers’ work to protect our land and water resources. Conservation, sustainable ag and rural development programs combined amount to just one quarter of one percent of the federal budget. It is wrong to balance the budget on the backs of our small farms and rural communities.

BACKGROUND

Sustainable ag won small but important victories in the 2008 Farm Bill, with funding and changes in policy that recognize the benefits of local and regional food systems and organic agriculture. Those policies and programs have helped fuel the boom in local food and sustainable farming, improving not only the economy of our rural communities but the health of all our citizens.

Spending on conservation, rural development, sustainable farming and local foods programs is just one quarter of one percent of the federal budget: For comparison, the Dept. of Defense pays the same amount of money for just 32 F-35 fighter jets as all the spending on those agriculture programs combined. These programs hold the key to our rural economic future, and cutting them is an assault on our rural communities that has no real impact on the deficit. Yet current Congressional resolutions would slash these programs by up to 46% by 2016.

Here are just a few of the examples of how these programs have helped build our region’s capacity to provide more healthy, nutritious, sustainably-grown local foods:

Approximately 300 Carolina fruit and vegetable farms currently hold contracts with the US Dept. of Agriculture to compensate them for implementing soil and water conservation practices under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Congress’ proposed budget cuts would force USDA to renege on CSP contracts. America must honor its commitments to our farmers.
Approximately 160 farms have received support through Organic Initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) since 2009. Those farms have reduced the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improved soil health, thanks to investment through the EQIP Organic Initiative.
The Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program has provided the Carolinas with about $5 million in grant funds to invest in increasing markets for fruit and vegetable farmers and increasing healthy food consumption by the general public. Projects funded have helped limited resource farmers transition to organic production, and developed food safety programs and training tailored to the needs of small farms, among dozens of critical initiatives.
Funding from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) has created a local food distribution project in Charleston, SC; helped a co-op on Johns Island, SC turn fish waste from a local seafood company into high quality fertilizer; financed vital research on organic crop production in the Carolinas; and educated over 150 cooperative extension agents from North and South Carolina on sustainable agriculture; among dozens of other projects.

These are just a small sample of the benefits to our farms, our communities and our natural resources from the USDA’s conservation, rural development, sustainable farming and local foods programs. Rural America deserves investments to generate jobs, help communities benefit from their agricultural resources, and support farmers’ work to protect our land and water resources. It is wrong to balance the budget on the backs of our small farms and rural communities.

Thank you for taking action today!



	Home CFSA Member Login 2011 Sustainable Agriculture Conference Find local food Internship Referral Service Sustainable Ag Resources About Us Join CFSA! Projects Event Calendar Blog Store Contact Join us on acebook Follow us on witter	in this section: TAKE ACTION, Background info. The Future of Food, Farming, and the Environment Are At Stake! Working together, our community has achieved important wins for sustainable agriculture through advocacy on past food and farm bills.All those achievements are at risk right now! Congress has established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the “Super Committee,” which is tasked with cutting $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade. Those budget cuts will either: - protect the status quo in agriculture, deepening negative trends and starving out positive programs; - or, they will help make our nation’s agriculture policy better. Congressmembers from the Carolinas will have a big impact on these decisions. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina, is a member of the Super Committee and will be making decisions soon. North Carolina Representatives Renee Ellmers, Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell sit on the House Agriculture Committee, and their views will influence the Super Committee’s decisions. If you are represented by these Congressmembers, it is vital that they hear from you today! TAKE ACTION Sustainable agriculture and conservation programs have already been slashed in the 2011 budget—while the huge direct payments and subsidies for industrial agriculture went untouched. This is unfair and harmful to our nation’s farmers, our health and our soil and water resources. The Super Committee must protect sustainable ag from further cuts, and reform the subsidies that favor business as usual in industrial ag. It just takes a minute to call your member of Congress. If the line is busy, please leave a brief message on the voicemail. Rep. Clyburn, SC District: 202-225-3315 Rep. Ellmers, NC 2d District: 202-225-4531 Rep. McIntyre, NC 7th District: 202-225-2731 Rep. Kissell, NC 8th District: 202-225-3715 Here’s the Message to Send: I am a constituent, calling to urge Representative ________ to support a fair and balanced approach to food and agricultural spending in the deficit reduction bill. Farm conservation and environmental programs have already been cut deeply and should not be cut any further. Farm commodity, insurance, and disaster program reform is long overdue. Reform should reduce spending, maintain a smaller more targeted farm safety net, and reinvest in job-creating rural economic development, local and regional food systems, and young and beginning farmers. Rural America deserves investments to generate jobs, help communities benefit from their agricultural resources, and support farmers’ work to protect our land and water resources. Conservation, sustainable ag and rural development programs combined amount to just one quarter of one percent of the federal budget. It is wrong to balance the budget on the backs of our small farms and rural communities. BACKGROUND Sustainable ag won small but important victories in the 2008 Farm Bill, with funding and changes in policy that recognize the benefits of local and regional food systems and organic agriculture. Those policies and programs have helped fuel the boom in local food and sustainable farming, improving not only the economy of our rural communities but the health of all our citizens. Spending on conservation, rural development, sustainable farming and local foods programs is just one quarter of one percent of the federal budget: For comparison, the Dept. of Defense pays the same amount of money for just 32 F-35 fighter jets as all the spending on those agriculture programs combined. These programs hold the key to our rural economic future, and cutting them is an assault on our rural communities that has no real impact on the deficit. Yet current Congressional resolutions would slash these programs by up to 46% by 2016. Here are just a few of the examples of how these programs have helped build our region’s capacity to provide more healthy, nutritious, sustainably-grown local foods: Approximately 300 Carolina fruit and vegetable farms currently hold contracts with the US Dept. of Agriculture to compensate them for implementing soil and water conservation practices under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Congress’ proposed budget cuts would force USDA to renege on CSP contracts. America must honor its commitments to our farmers. Approximately 160 farms have received support through Organic Initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) since 2009. Those farms have reduced the use of pesticides and fertilizers and improved soil health, thanks to investment through the EQIP Organic Initiative. The Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program has provided the Carolinas with about $5 million in grant funds to invest in increasing markets for fruit and vegetable farmers and increasing healthy food consumption by the general public. Projects funded have helped limited resource farmers transition to organic production, and developed food safety programs and training tailored to the needs of small farms, among dozens of critical initiatives. Funding from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) has created a local food distribution project in Charleston, SC; helped a co-op on Johns Island, SC turn fish waste from a local seafood company into high quality fertilizer; financed vital research on organic crop production in the Carolinas; and educated over 150 cooperative extension agents from North and South Carolina on sustainable agriculture; among dozens of other projects. These are just a small sample of the benefits to our farms, our communities and our natural resources from the USDA’s conservation, rural development, sustainable farming and local foods programs. Rural America deserves investments to generate jobs, help communities benefit from their agricultural resources, and support farmers’ work to protect our land and water resources. It is wrong to balance the budget on the backs of our small farms and rural communities. Thank you for taking action today!
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