A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda:

A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda: Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill May 2012

Facilitated by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group In Collaboration with New England Farmers Union Education Foundation Wholesome Wave, and Others

A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda: Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill Table of Contents I.

Policy and Funding Priorities

page 3

II.

Northeast Agriculture and Food System

page 4-6

III.

Policy and Funding Priorities, Why They are Important, And Policy Options to Address Them:  Economic Development and Local and Regional Farm and Food Infrastructure page 6-13

III.

 Food and Nutrition

page 13-18

 Conservation and Renewable Energy

page 18-22

 Research

page 23-24

Current Proposed Legislation That Include Elements That Address Some Northeast Priorities page 25

IV. Farm Bill Platforms and Positions From Participating Organizations V.

Acknowledgments, Participating Organizations And Endnotes

page 26

page 27-29

Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 2 of 29

I. Policy and Funding Priorities A. Economic Development and Local and Regional Farm and Food Infrastructure  Invest in local and regional food system and market development  Increase farming opportunities for beginning, minority, women, immigrant, and socially disadvantaged farmers  Provide adequate safety net and risk management tools for Northeast farmers.  Support key Northeast agriculture industries including, dairy, organic, specialty crops, livestock and fisheries  Restore competition and contract reform

B. Food and Nutrition  Promote access to fresh, locally and culturally appropriate foods  Support programs that reflect national health goals and nutrition guidelines  Strengthen nutrition incentive programs  Promote farm to school (and other institutions) initiatives  Expand community food security programs C. Conservation and Renewable Energy  Continue mandatory funding for farm conservation programs, especially those aimed at working lands  Continue funding for on-farm energy efficiency and renewable energy production  Ensure farm conservation program flexibility to address regional, state and local resource concerns and priorities  Ensure adequate conservation technical assistance

D. Research  Support research, extension and education programs that strengthen local, regional, sustainable and organic agriculture Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 3 of 29

II. Introduction to Northeast Agriculture and Food System The call for local and regional has been loud and clear in the Northeast and has driven economic growth, public health, and sustainability. In fact, all over the US, people are working to make local and regional food systems their choice for economic development. Indeed, many believe that our survival depends on it.

It should be noted that among a very diverse group of constituencies and sectors, there is overall agreement that the economic viability of small farmers is crucial to meeting food needs of our region.

The purpose of this Northeast Farm Bill Agenda is to articulate and promote priorities for the Northeast in the 2012 Farm Bill. These farm and food policy and funding priorities reflect and address specific challenges and conditions in the Northeast. Such policies that promote sustainable food systems here in the Northeast will likely serve other food systems beyond our region.

The Northeast

NESAWG has been surveying food and farm groups as to what federal policy can do to secure a sustainable farm and food system for decades. In preparation for the 2008 Farm Bill, NESAWG partners developed a Northeast Farm Bill Agenda. It reflected a thoughtful and inclusive process to articulate priority policy areas for our region. That process, as well as the resulting document, was instrumental in our effective advocacy efforts that resulted in important wins for the Northeast. Continuing this process in 2011 and 2012, we had input from many constituencies and food sectors, including public health, anti-hunger, community food security, rural and urban farmers, organic, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, direct, innovative and wholesale marketers, researchers, economic development specialists, conservationists and concerned citizens. The 2012 Northeast Farm Bill Agenda reflects the current top priorities identified in surveys and meetings, and offers some suggestions as to how these might be addressed.

The farms, forests, seacoasts, rivers, watersheds, and people of the Northeast provide our region with a rich variety of food, markets, local and regional value-added products, wildlife, culture and jobs. A thriving Northeast agriculture sector means employment, economic development, food security, and healthy communities. It also gives us cleaner water supplies, better air quality, tourism opportunities, and spaces for community engagement and recreation. In short, a vibrant food system offers us a better quality of life. The Northeast food and farming system is a diverse system of rural and urban interdependency, collaboration and innovation. Despite the importance of, and desire for, local, regional, and sustainable agriculture, the bulk of federal agriculture dollars go to the support a system that favors the opposite. It’s time for US farm policy to shift its focus and this Farm Bill is that opportunity. Northeast farms sold more than $14 billion in agricultural products in 2007.i What makes the region’s agriculture sector unique is not the volume of its sales: it is the diversity of size, scale, and environment among Northeast farms; the flourishing of the organic sector; and the sheer variety of products, from dairy to value-added foods to fruits, vegetables, and livestock.


The diversity and resilience of our region’s agriculture sector can be maintained with the right type of government support. Because of the type of agricultural products grown and produced in the region, many Northeast farmers are not eligible for, and do not participate in, federal commodity programs. For example, while some states receive as much as $100 in commodity payments for every acre of farmland, most of our region receives $25 or less.ii Federal commodity programs are vitally important to some of the region’s farmers, including its dairy producers, but funding for programs that address other needs—from conservation practices, to new market and product development, to food safety, to research and education—are equally if not more important for many of the region’s producers. . The Northeast is also home to nearly 64 million people, with a population density five times the national average.iii Like our region’s producers, our consumers and their interests are diverse and evolving; they are concerned not only about food quality and safety, but also about food worker conditions and environmental impact. They have shown a growing desire for local and sustainable products, and a desire to connect with their producers. Our region leads the nation in organic sales, community supported agriculture and farmers markets. But despite this demonstrated consumer interest, many in the Northeast still experience food insecurity and significant barriers to accessing fresh, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods. Federal food assistance and nutrition programs are therefore essential to the wellbeing of all Northeast citizens, consumers and producers alike; if implemented with the flexibility to serve our region’s particular needs, these programs can do a great deal to support the Northeast agricultural economy. Despite general historical trends, there were many successes for the Northeast in the 2007 Farm Bill. Conservation programs, such as the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, are

critical in a region with the highest agricultural land values in the nation—one that leads the country in percent of agricultural land lost to development. The 2008 Farm Bill’s Regional Equity provisioniv has allowed more Northeast farmers and landowners to take advantage of conservation programs that are often oversubscribed in our region. Also positive for the viability of the region’s agriculture system has been funding for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS’s invasive species programs, for instance, are particularly important to the Northeast’s longtime forest and maple industries. The Northeast has also benefited tremendously from the Farmer’s Market Promotion Program, the National Organic Cost Share Program, and the beginning and disadvantaged farmer programs of the 2008 Farm Bill. For our food system to continue thriving and growing, the 2012 Farm Bill must build upon the efforts of 2008 to address the unique challenges facing the Northeast. First, this Farm Bill must include the flexibility to respond to regional differences; a Farm Bill that properly addresses each region’s needs and circumstances will strengthen our nation’s agriculture system as a whole. For the Northeast, this might involve, for instance, improving crop insurance programs by making them more accessible and appropriate for various scales and types of farms; the floods of this past year have demonstrated the inadequacy of current crop insurance programs for our region. Similar tailoring of programs would be appropriate in conservation, research, and farm viability policies. Equally important is ensuring that the strides made in 2008 are not undone in attempts to address budget concerns. One way to do that is to restore funding baselines for innovative programs such as the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Value-Added Producer Grants, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Similarly, maintaining Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 5 of 29

funding for conservation, anti-hunger, and rural development programs is essential. While the economic climate is a reality in all areas of policymaking, food and farm programs should

not bear disproportionate cuts—these programs are investments in the economic viability of the Northeast and the nation’s agricultural economy as a whole.

Northeast Agriculture          

v

Over 175,000 farms 26 million acres of working land Northeast farms sold more than $14 billion in agricultural products in 2007.vi Diversity of size, scale, and environment among Northeast farms o flourishing of the organic sector o variety of products, from dairy to value-added foods to fruits, vegetables, and livestock. Nearly 18,000 dairies vii, producing over 28 billion pounds of milk in 2011viii. Direct-to-consumer sales in the Northeast are more than twice the national average. Specialty crops constitute nearly one-third of the region’s total farm sales. While some non-Northeast states receive as much as $100 in commodity payments for every acre of farmland, most of our region receives $25 or less. ix Northeast leads the nation in Community Supported Agriculture, Farmers Markets, and organic sales. Northeast has the highest agricultural land values and percentage of farmland land lost to development.

II. Policy and Funding Priorities and Options A. Economic Development and Local and Regional Farm and Food Infrastructure 1. Foster a local and regional market infrastructure. 

The Farm Bill should support the development and scaling up of a local and regional food system in the Northeast. A viable farm, forest and fishery sector in the Northeast requires additional investments in crucial infrastructure including fish, poultry and livestock processing, aggregation facilities, support for value added ventures and credit for local and regional food producers among others.

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The farm bill should support farmers’ efforts to market directly to consumers as well as to local schools, hospitals, universities and other institutions. Our farmers will gain new markets, and school children and other consumers will have increased access to fresh and healthy food.

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The definition of “rural” in the rural development program eligibility criteria often causes problems in the Northeast where agriculture is often integrated into or in close proximity to urban and peri-urban areas. This farm bill should provide a more flexible definition that serves farms and fisheries that are an integral part of an urban or peri-urban food shed. Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 6 of 29

WHY: The Northeast’s diversified agriculture and fisheries provide many opportunities for regional economic development. Investments in the local and regional food system can open new markets to small and mid-sized farmers, create new jobs and increase access to local fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, meat and dairy for consumers. Even small investments in the local and regional food system can pay big benefits in new jobs, new markets and greater access to fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists called Market Forces: Creating Jobs Through Public Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems provides an impressive survey of existing data on the many economic, health and environmental impacts of direct to consumer, school, restaurant and institution marketing by farmers. The clear weight of the evidence is that a further expansion of local and regional food systems has the potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Fostering Local and Regional Farm Infrastructure: 

Provide Farm Services Agency credit to farmers and ranchers producing for local and regional food markets, to mid-tier value chains, and to local and regional food producers engaged in value-added enterprises.

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Direct federally chartered Farm Credit System to implement a program of credit for farmers and ranchers producing for local and regional markets, beginning farmers, and small farms.

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Fund the proposed Local Marketing Promotion Program (formerly the Farmers Market Promotion Program), to proved competitive grants for projects that promote both direct producer-to-consumer marketing such as farmers markets as well as larger scale, non-direct local and regional marketing ventures at $30 million annually as provided in the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act (LFFJA) (S. 1773 H.R. 3286).

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Fund the Value-Added Producer Grants at $30 million annually to support feasibilityplanning activities and provide working capital for on farm and value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy expansion and expand the program to support food hubs and outreach to underserved states and communities as provided in the LFFJA.

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Enhance Rural Development programs to improve support of local and regional food hubs and farm to institution and other supply chain innovations and extend support to metropolitan counties, if a significant proportion of economic benefit accrues to rural producers.

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Support co-operative development as a business model for producing, aggregating, processing and retailing local and regional food products.

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Expand the set-aside to $50 million over five years for local and regional, direct and indirect support loans in the Rural Development Business and Industry Loan Program and maintain the Community Facilities Program support for local food system infrastructure including livestock processing facilities as provided in the LFFJA.


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Authorize the interstate sale of state inspected meat where state inspection is equal to federal inspection standards and provide scale appropriate technical assistance to small and very small meat processing plants.

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Make non-traditional (urban and community-based) agricultural production explicitly eligible for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program funding.

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Increase mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program to $90 million and allocate $30 million to local and regional farm and food system specialty crop development within each State; as provided in the LFFJA.

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Establish a community supported agriculture competitive grant program that would award federal funds to non-profit organizations, extension services, and state and local government agencies to provide grower support - ranging from marketing and business assistance to crop development - to new or current CSA farmers, as well as assist in the development of innovative delivery and distribution programs with preference given to projects focusing on family farms, farms operated by or employing veterans, and those that expand CSA reach into "food deserts" and low income communities with limited access to fresh food.

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Expand the production of fruits and vegetables by allowing greater planting flexibility for commodity program participants.

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Provide funding for farmer food safety training through the National Food Safety Training, Education Extension, Outreach and Technical Assistance program at an annual amount of $15 million as provided in the LFFJA.

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Support local and regional food procurement flexibility for school districts, vendors, and producers by expanding USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) pilot programs, and providing for all districts a small capped local food credit at no more than 15% of each state’s USDA Foods entitlement.

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Authorize $125 million for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), including funding for food chain enterprises and regional food hubs.

2. Provide appropriate safety net and risk management tools for Northeast farmers. 

Crop insurance products and tools must be appropriate, accessible and affordable to all Northeast farmers.

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Federal farm support and research should foster traditional methods of managing risk on farms in the Northeast such as diversity including bio-diversity and entrepreneurship.

WHY: Farms in the Northeast are often not well served by traditional commodity and crop insurance programs. While commodity program payments and crop insurance subsidies together account for Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 8 of 29

about $147 billion of the 10-year farm bill budget baseline, the Northeast share of these programs is roughly 2% and 1% respectively. Diversity, working lands conservation practices and entrepreneurship are three of the region’s most effective risk management strategies. Commodity programs and crop insurance programs should reward and encourage these traits. Crop insurance programs should address production and market fluctuation as well as the risks associated with transitioning to new markets and new and more profitable farming practices that protect our water and build our soil. These products must meet the particular needs and circumstances of all Northeast farmers, and must be accessible and affordable. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Appropriate Safety Net and Risk Management Tools for Northeast Farmers: 

Develop a whole farm revenue insurance product appropriate to small and mid-sized diversified farms.

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Extend Conservation Compliance requirements to all recipients of federally subsidized crop insurance.

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Set strict payment limits on commodity farm programs and close loopholes in current payment limitation law by placing a cap of $250,000 per married couple ($125,000 per individual) on farm payments and setting limits of direct payments at $40,000; countercyclical payments at $60,000; and marketing loan gains (including forfeitures), loan deficiency payments, and commodity certificates, at $150,000 and improve the standard by which the USDA determines if farmers are actively engaged in farm operations.

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Increase diversification of farming practices and maintain our national food security by establishing a distinct, classical Seeds and Breeds program in the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture that focuses on the classical development of cultivars and breeds to ensure biodiversity and animal and plant adaptation to changing conditions in various production regions.

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Increase Risk Management Partnership Program funding and emphasize support of beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in the partnership programs.

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Provide adequate funding for conservation, risk management, farm viability, and other programs that assist farmers to diversify, add value and or transition to grazing, organic or other production practices that reduce risk.

3. Increase farming opportunities for beginning, minority, women, immigrant, and socially disadvantaged farmers 

The future of agriculture in the Northeast will be shaped by the economic opportunities we provide to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers today.

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This farm bill should include a comprehensive and cross title approach to providing the research, technical assistance, land tenure, risk management and other needs of new, women, immigrant, and minority farmers. Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 9 of 29

WHY: In 2007, just 26% of all principal operators in the Northeast were considered beginners—those farming for just 10 years or less. This is a lower percentage than the South and the West. The 2012 Agriculture Census may well uncover a brighter picture but with more than half of all principal farm operators in the Northeast nearing (or exceeding) retirement age we can and must do a better job of launching the next generation. According to the census, these new farms are much less likely to specialize in commodity production and much more likely to engage in specialty crop (fruits and vegetables) and specialized animal production, mostly cattle. 36% are women. Many are new immigrants or returning veterans. These new farms accounted for 18% of all farm sales, just 14% of government payments, 27% of organic sales, and 24% of direct to consumer sales. Programs and policies that harness and grow this new entrepreneurial energy is good economic development. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Increasing Farming Opportunities: 

Reauthorize the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program and increase mandatory funding from $75 million to $125 million over the next five years to help meet growing demand and prioritize agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training programs for military veterans as provided in the LFFJA.

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Provide mandatory funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Account Pilot Program as provided in the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (BFROA).

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Reauthorize and provide mandatory funding for the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach and the Section 2501 competitive grants program for organizations that provide farm and financial management resources to minority farmers and ranchers.

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Increase authorization levels for direct and guaranteed Farm Services Agency lending programs; re-emphasize technical assistance to beginning farmers; and authorize FSA to make intermediate, flexible micro loans to new producers including military veterans.

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Encourage greater involvement and investment and more secure tenure agreements through tax incentives or disincentives and/or other measures.

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Encourage the Farm Services Agency and other parts of USDA to adjust loan and other program standards to facilitate farm transfers and the needs multiple generations of farm families as farms are passed between generations.


4. Support key Northeast agriculture industries including, dairy, organic, and specialty crops. 

The current system of federal dairy pricing mechanisms and the safety net must be improved to maintain the family farm dairies so vital to our Northeast economy, food security and landscape.

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Federal farm policy must continue to support the organic producers and producers transitioning to organic.

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Federal farm programs must increase support for specialty crop production.

WHY: Dairy farms in the Northeast produce a total milk value of over $5 billion and the diary industry supports $50 billion in regional economic activity. Dairy farms are the "anchor tenants" of Northeast agriculture and they steward the vast majority of the region's working open spaces. While continued diversity in the Northeast farm base develops, dairy farms support the necessary infrastructure (feed, vet, equipment, etc) all types of farms require to survive. Because of diverse land use, terrain and climate, our cost of production is higher than other areas of the country and this fact must be reflected in a federal dairy pricing policy. Northeast milk prices paid to the farmer should reflect local value, not national price. The future of the Northeast’s dairy industry depends on an effective federal policy response coupled with state and regional initiatives. The organic price premium has provided many small and mid sized farms in the Northeast with a renewed economic outlook. The 2008 Organic Survey counted 2,959 organic farmers in the Northeast with 348,249 acres under active organic production. In 2008, these organic farms had estimated sales of $466,901,000. Specialty crops are defined in the farm bill as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticultural and nursery crops, plus floriculture. While USDA has urged Americans to double their intake of fruits and vegetables, the Environmental Working Group estimates that for every $16 we spend on commodity and crop insurance programs we spend just $1 to support the production of specialty crops. As important as they are to our diet, specialty crops are also important to the economy in the Northeast. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Dairy: 

A margin insurance program that provides subsidized premium coverage on the first 4 to 5 million pounds of milk produced.

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Extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program.

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Safety net and Federal Milk Marketing order reforms that reflect regional needs and costs of production.


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A minimum market order price based on the regional cost of production that considers a range of production methods, farm sizes, feed (pasture, forage/silage, purchased feed) and marketing strategies.

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An effective market stabilization program with production disincentives when a margin trigger is reached.

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Support for conservation, risk management, farm viability, and other programs that assist diary farmers to diversify, add value and or transition to grazing, organic or other production practices that reduce financial risk.

Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Organic Agriculture: 

Provide mandatory funding for Organic Certification Cost Share at a level of $30 million per year and raise the payment cap from $750 to $1,000 as provided in the LFFJA.

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Ensure equity for organic producers by eliminating the five percent surcharge organic farmers pay on their crop insurance rates and reimburse organic farmers for crop losses using organic prices rather than conventional prices to recognize the higher market value of organic products.

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Increase funding for the Organic Research and Extension Initiative to $30 million annually as provided in the LFFJA.

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Provide $5 million in mandatory funding for the Organic Data Initiative as provided in the LFFJA.

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Authorize cooperative agreements between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and qualified non-governmental organizations to provide training in organic practices to NRCS staff.

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Fund a research initiative to develop public seeds and breeds that are locally adapted to address regional needs and the climates of each region.

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Any review of the federal milk marketing order process should consider whether organic dairy should have its own milk marketing order.

Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Specialty Crops: 

Increase mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program to $90 million and allocate $30 million to local and regional farm and food system specialty crop development within each State; as provided in the LFFJA.


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Allow multi-state projects under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the initiation of two or more states or applicant(s).

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Maintain funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

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Increase funding to support local and regional food system development; open new direct and wholesale marketing channels for specialty crop producers.

5. Restore competition and contract reform 

The 2012 Farm Bill must maintain a strong livestock title to ensure competitive livestock markets and fair production contracts.

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Country of Origin Labeling for meat, fish, perishable fruits and vegetables must be defended from challenges in the World Trade Organization.

WHY: Fair and open markets are essential to a healthy and vibrant rural economy. Concentration and market manipulation in livestock, poultry, and grocery retail markets harms farmers, rural communities and consumers. Current Farm Bill Policy Options to Restore Competition: 

Defend gains won in the 2008 Farm Bill around fair competition and contract reform.

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Restore funding for USDA Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) oversight and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.

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Expand USDA Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) to cover all imported food.

B. Food and Nutrition 1. Promote access to fresh, local and culturally appropriate foods 

Improving access to locally and regionally produced foods serves the dual purpose of building healthier diets for consumers and stronger markets for producers.

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Local and community-based food systems provide diverse, healthy food choices for consumers while building connections between urban, suburban and rural communities in the Northeast

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Reducing regulatory barriers and providing capital and technical support can spur the rebuilding of local and regional processing and distribution infrastructure in the Northeast. Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 13 of 29

WHY: Many Northeast communities lack supermarkets and other retail food outlets as well as farmers markets. This shortage of access to fresh, local food limits their ability to improve their diets and overall health. While there are many existing programs to promote healthy foods and support expanding infrastructure for local foods systems, they are starved for funds. The Northeast is gifted with productive farms near urban markets, but there are substantial hurdles to making effective connections. Increasing the supply and distribution of fresh, local produce through research, technical assistance and investment in distribution infrastructure is in the interest of both the public health community and producers. Regional and community food security -- producing, processing and purchasing as many food products as close to home as possible – means economic development, jobs and healthy food. Regional distribution systems have been shown to be the most efficient. The Northeast has a great advantage in producing a wide range of foodstuffs suitable for local and regional markets.

Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Promoting Access to Fresh, Local and Culturally Appropriate Foods: 

Support the expansion of Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFP) for a total of $50 million over five years, to fight food insecurity through developing community food projects that help promote the self-sufficiency of low-income communities by bringing the whole food system together to assess strengths, establish linkages, and create systems that improve the self-reliance of community members over their food needs.

2. Support programs that reflect national health goals and nutrition guidelines 

Nutrition education is a foundation for healthy eating and healthy living.

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Nutrition programs should be more fully aligned with federal dietary guidelines.

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Nutrition education programs should be expanded to reach out to all at-risk populations

WHY: The Farm Bill is also a food bill; it should reflect national health and nutrition goals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the medical costs of obesity was $147 billion 2008 and of diabetes was $116 billion in 2007. The USDA’s nutritional guidelines call for increased consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. However, current U.S. farm policy does very little to support farmers who produce these products and does not require nutrition programs to allocate food in accordance with the guidelines. Programs and policies should be fully aligned with federal dietary guidelines and result in increased consumption of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, especially for children.


Current Farm Bill Policy Options that Reflect National Goals and Nutrition Guidelines: 

Preserve the reforms to SNAP-Ed adopted in the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 that expand program eligibility beyond SNAP recipients and broaden allowable types of education, including funding physical fitness education.

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Provide states the discretion in developing their state plans to approve projects that include the use of SNAP-Ed resources to fund nutrition incentives redeemable at farmers markets as part of the education curriculum.

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Provide for 100% reimbursement for farmers markets undertaking SNAP Outreach projects authorized in state plans.

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Align the nutritional standards of the foods promoted by the Agricultural Marketing Service commodity research and promotion ("check-off") programs and the foods provided by the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (including the Child Nutrition Commodity and The Emergency Food Assistance Programs) with the standards of the National School Lunch Program and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with Commodity Supplemental Food Program funds expended proportionately in accordance with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and some able to be used to purchase (therefore invest in local food systems that provide) local foods aligned with Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

3. Strengthen nutrition incentive programs  

Encouraging better eating habits through education and outreach is more powerful when coupled with incentives for increased purchases of healthy food. Without limiting food choice, a SNAP incentives program will help to remediate some of the negative perceptions that FNS faces when SNAP is seen as supporting purchase of highly processed, fast or “junk” foods, and offer a way to encourage healthier food choices without threatening revenues for the processed foods industry.

WHY: As a result of the incentives, 87% of DVCP consumers increased or greatly increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Moreover, 90 percent of them agreed or strongly agreed that the amount of fresh fruits they bought at the market made a big difference in their family’s diet. SNAP redemptions in 2010 totaled $7.5 million and $11 million in 2011 at all direct marketing outlets. Furthermore, SNAP customers made 453,711 purchases at these direct marketing outlets nationwide, with an average purchase amount of $16.69. This presents purchasing power that can be brought into these markets through increased SNAP customers, who have demonstrated an increased interest in buying healthy foods at farmers markets.


Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Strengthening Nutrition Incentive Programs: 

Create a matching-grant program to provide funding for entities that incentivize the purchase of fruits and vegetables by recipients of federal nutrition benefits at farmers markets and CSAs.

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Increase funding for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) to provide lowincome seniors with coupons that can be exchanged for eligible fresh foods at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.

4. Promote farm to institution initiatives 

Develop additional incentives for regional producers to sell minimally processed foods to school districts;

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Remove barriers to local food sourcing by school districts by incentivizing contracted vendors in the DOD Fresh Program who source from farmers within their region of distribution, and can identify the food as such;

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Promote collaboration, coordination and innovation among existing USDA programs, including those that provide technical and financial resources to farm to school and other institution initiatives.

WHY: Today, little of the food served in our K-12 schools, colleges, and universities comes from farms that are visible through the cafeteria window. By increasing access to locally produced and value-added foods in school meals, Farm to School projects improve the quality of children’s diets, increase student awareness and appreciation of local agriculture, develop a new market for agricultural producers, provide market incentives for value-added ventures, and develop partnerships between a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill removed barriers to sourcing school food based on geographic preference, allowing more school districts to support local farms and provide wholesome food for their students. The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act provides first time mandatory funding for the Farm to School Grant Program, which is an important next step The 2012 Farm Bill can go even further by providing school districts to exercise preferences based on farm size, sustainability, and other criteria, allowing for more relationships to develop between schools and local farms. Similarly, farm to institution initiatives in hospitals, retirement centers, universities, and other establishments can provide vulnerable populations with fresh, healthy food, and small farmers with a reliable market for their products. In the Northeast, where direct marketing is particularly important to small producers, farm to institution programs are essential to building and sustaining our regional food system. Farm Bill programs should encourage that growth by removing barriers to local food sourcing, and instead incentivizing farm to institution projects. Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 16 of 29

Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Promoting Farm to Institution Initiatives: 

Maintain current funding of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which makes fruit and vegetable snacks available at no cost to all children in participating schools, and add language to encourage regional sourcing.

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Expand preference language beyond geography to other metrics in the supply chain.

5. Expand community food security programs 

Public food assistance programs should provide a robust food safety net for all eligible Northeast citizens.

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application and documentation process should be simplified.

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Healthy food should be easily accessible and affordable.

WHY: Federal food assistance programs are the first line of defense against hunger for low-income households. Approximately 14.5 % of the population in the Northeast lives in poverty, equally distributed between urban and rural communities. States throughout the region have seen a rise in SNAP participation rates, in some cases dramatically. For example, between 2007 and 2011 SNAP participation doubled in Delaware. Yet, too many eligible people – especially working poor and elderly – are missing out on benefits. In some parts of the region, enrollment for food assistance of eligible people is lagging, often because of budget constraints and insufficient resources. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Expanding Community Food Security Programs: 

Maintain the entitlement status of SNAP funding.

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Maintain access to SNAP for currently eligible populations and extend eligibility to the longterm unemployed, legal immigrants, and former drug felons.

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Raise the maximum shelter deduction so that SNAP benefits are adjusted to reflect variable regional housing costs.

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Make mandatory funding for TEFAP more responsive to changes in need by providing a trigger that ties funding to unemployment levels.

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Increase the flexibility of the USDA's bonus commodity purchasing authority by linking it to the need for emergency food assistance that is aligned with Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in addition to intervening to support agricultural markets.


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Ensure that farmers' markets and participating farmers and CSAs can be equipped with cost effective EBT transaction processing capability.

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Use the USDA's Low-Cost Food Plan, rather than the Thrifty Food Plan, as the basis for SNAP benefits.

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Increase funding for SNAP administration to enable more efficient application processing.

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Make funding of TEFAP for the storage, distribution, and handling of food mandatory.

C. Conservation and Renewable Energy 1. Continue robust, mandatory funding for farm conservation programs, especially those aimed at working farm and forest lands 

Farm conservation programs are amongst the most used and useful of Farm Bill programs to Northeast farmers and landowners. Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) are routinely over-subscribed around the region.

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The 2008 Farm Bill significantly increased conservation program funding, especially for working lands stewardship and protection—jumping from under $5 billion annually to $6 billion. The 2012 Farm Bill should maintain this vital commitment to conservation.

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The next Farm Bill should maintain the current Regional Equity provision, providing a $15 million base allocation of funding for working lands conservation programs in each state, provided there is demand and approved applications for the programs.

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USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) allocation formulas for Farm Bill conservation programs should reflect states’ characteristics such as population density, intensity of land use, land values, cost of conservation practices, and state matching funds.

WHY: Farmers and forest landowners in the Northeast not only produce an extraordinary bounty of food, fuel and fiber, but their land provides habitat for wildlife, recharges aquifers for drinking water, reduces flooding, and helps filter our air and water. The region faces continued conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses. According to the most recent data from the National Resources Inventory, the Northeast lost the highest percentage of farmland of any region from 2002 to 2007. With competition for a limited land base, Northeast farmland values are among the highest in the U.S. Land costs are often prohibitive for new farmers, presenting high barriers to farm entry and viability. Conservation programs help to alleviate these barriers by reducing competition from development interests. With over 22% of the Nation’s population on less than 7% of its land base, most Northeast farms are located in or near metropolitan areas. Consequently, farm conservation programs are providing Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 18 of 29

multiple benefits—helping farmers meet environmental regulations, providing critical environmental benefits to millions of people, and addressing the challenges of farming in densely populated areas. Conservation programs are also helping farmers extend their growing season, which is expanding access to fresh healthy foods for the region’s 61 million consumers. Demand for federal conservation programs, particularly working lands conservation programs, is high in the Northeast, and often exceeds available funds. A recent analysis of 2009 Farm Bill funding in NY, NJ, MA, CT, NH, and RI by Farm Credit East found that EQIP and FRPP ranked third and fourth respectively in terms of farm program spending in the region, behind only the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program and federal crop insurance. Current Farm Bill Policy Options to Address Conservation: 

The public expects basic conservation measures on fragile lands in return for taxpayer support for farm safety–net programs. The current conservation compliance standards should be attached to the federal premium support for crop insurance.

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To reduce producer and landowner confusion over the alphabet soup of NRCS easement programs as well as reduce administrative costs, merge the five current easement programs into two: a Working Lands Easement Program and a Land Retirement and Restoration Program.

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The Working Lands Easement Program should:  Maintain funding that reflects the combined 2012 baselines for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)  Maintain the program purposes of the FRPP and its emphasis on permanent easements  Emphasize partnerships, which have helped leverage $1.80 in non-federal funds for every FRPP dollar invested through 2010  Embrace match alternatives, including landowner donations of value and entity services;  Maintain reasonable certification of eligible entities to allow more effective and efficient program delivery.

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Institute a new “Debt for Working Lands Easement’ Program to enable retiring the debt on agriculturally productive lands in return for a permanent easement that would allow it to be used for agricultural production.

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In consolidation of easement programs, aim to make conservation more available to landowners, not to reduce funding.

2. Continue funding for on-farm energy efficiency and renewable energy production 

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is the primary source of cost-share assistance for on-farm energy efficiency and renewable energy planning and practices. The Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) within USDA-Rural Development also Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 19 of 29

provides grants and loans to farms and rural small businesses for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. 

The 2008 Farm Bill recognized energy conservation and production of renewable energy as critical to energy independence and renewable energy production.

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The Farm Bill should promote and support research and development of biofuels in harmony with each region’s capacity.

WHY: Farm energy costs continue to rise; in 2011, for example, Farm Credit East reported a 36% rise in farm fuel costs over the year before. Interest in on-farm renewable energy production continues to grow in the Northeast, as farmers seek to reduce purchased energy costs and to build additional revenue streams. Federal conservation and energy programs are helping to finance on-farm solar, wind and anaerobic digester projects, and farm energy audits and efficiency projects. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Addressing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Production: 

Prioritize energy audits, improving energy efficiency, and conservation for funding in energy policies and programs (such as REAP and EQIP).

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Make all sectors of agriculture, including specialty crops in non-rural areas, eligible for programs like REAP and EQIP.

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Require renewable energy policies and programs to meet the standards for other components of a sustainable agricultural/forestry system: economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially responsible.

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Revise biomass energy policies and programs, such as the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), to require that the crop be grown or produced in a sustainable way with net environmental benefits.

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Make NRCS and US Forest Service central to the implementation of the program and the development of conservation plans at a variety of scales to assess the impacts and opportunities.

3. Provide appropriate conservation program flexibility to address national, state, and local resource concerns and priorities 

Federal conservation programs are playing an important role in revitalizing local and regional food systems, and conservation practices that protect resources while enhancing local and regional food production should be encouraged.


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Farm and forest conservation programs must reflect and address resource challenges and priorities identified and established by state and local governments and State Technical Committees, including multi-state initiatives and focus areas. In addition, working lands protection programs that rely on program partners must recognize the expertise and experience of those partners.

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Federal conservation programs should continue to help family forest owners conserve and manage their lands and explore market-based incentives to farmers and forest and farmland owners for ecosystem services.

WHY: Farms in the Northeast are, on average, smaller than farms in other regions of the country, with a more diverse range of crops and production systems. As a result, the region needs farm and forest conservation programs that can address resource challenges specific to the region. The conservation needs and practices associated with a large corn and soybean farm in Iowa are not likely to be the same as those of a 50-acre diversified vegetable operation in New Jersey. A one-size-fits-all approach inhibits innovation and often ignores state-level conservation priorities and resource concerns. As Northeast states increasingly direct state resources toward water and air quality concerns, climate change adaptation, revitalization of local and regional food systems, combating sprawl and protecting working lands, it is important that federal conservation programs recognize and work in tandem with these state priorities and efforts. The Northeast has the additional challenge of protecting and restoring many of the Nation’s estuaries, with 12 of the 32 estuaries of national significance in the region. The Northeast’s watersheds also impact the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico as well. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Providing Appropriate Program Flexibility: 

Provide for more comprehensive and integrated monitoring of the health of our natural resources, the impact of conservation programs, and the assessment of long term needs.

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Make the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), National Resources Inventory (NRI), and other inventories (such as the conversion of farmland) more coordinated and integrated with the national RCA plan and process.

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Institute a new approach to address conservation priorities through a merit-based strategic initiative process. This process would leverage approximately 20 percent of total funding for core conservation programs to be directed to local, state and regional priorities through strategic partnerships. This approach would enable innovative practices and greater flexibility to go outside of program rules, cost lists, and conservation practice standards. The remaining 80 percent would remain broadly available for individual farmers and ranchers seeking technical or financial assistance to implement conservation practices. Add pest management as a priority area under the Conservation Stewardship Program. Northeast Farm Bill Agenda Page 21 of 29

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Allow for organizations to work with multiple private landowners within the WHIP program.

4. Ensure adequate conservation technical assistance 

Federal spending for the Conservation Technical Assistance Program and technical assistance component of the Farm Bill Programs is inadequate to meet Northeast producer’s needs, especially among those who seek conservation planning assistance. This assistance is especially critical to the successful development of new and beginning farmer enterprises and for agriculture to be successful in a highly regulated environment.

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There should be additional flexibility in how NRCS technical assistance funds can be used in order to adequately address regional, state, and local resource concerns and opportunities.

WHY: The proximity of the region’s farms to population centers, public water supplies, estuaries and nonfarming neighbors create special conservation management challenges for Northeast farmers. Many farmers and farm and forest landowners seek technical assistance from NRCS even though they are not participating in Farm Bill Programs; for these constituents, technical assistance is only available through Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), funding for which has consistently been cut over the past few years. Additionally, given the typical Northeast farm’s numerous small fields and diversity of soils and crops, delivery of the technical assistance of the Farm Bill programs such as EQIP is often significantly more time consuming and complex than for farm operations in other regions with less crop diversity and larger parcel sizes. Providing NRCS with adequate resources to provide assistance and outreach to all farmers and landowners interested in conservation planning and installing conservation practices is essential to improve the stewardship of working lands, meet the Northeast’s increasingly complex environmental challenges, and address the growing interest in increasing local food production and other agriculture and forestry based economic development. Current Farm Bill Policy Options for Addressing Conservation Technical Assistance: 

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Align mandatory technical assistance funding with producer needs. The trigger for charging NRCS technical assistance to mandatory conservation programs should be earlier in the conservation planning process, if the producer’s statement of objectives includes obtaining Farm Bill conservation program assistance. The percent of technical assistance that attaches to each Farm Bill conservation program should be more flexible and take into account, on a state or regional basis, factors such as the number of producers and landowners participating in each program and the complexity of plans and practices being designed. .


D. Research 1. Support research, extension and education programs that strengthen local, regional, sustainable and organic agriculture 

Reauthorize and fund mandatory competitive research programs including the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

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Address research, data collection, and technical assistance needs for emerging value added businesses and agricultural sectors, including the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives.

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Strengthen sustainable agriculture and classical breeding research priorities to ensure farmers have the tools they need to meet growing consumer demand.

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Provide funding for public plant and animal breeding leading to the release of farm ready public varieties and breeds by establishing a Seeds and Breeds Initiative for the 21st century.

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Reinstitute the Agricultural Science and Technology Review Board to increase oversight and accountability for federal investments in public technology developments.

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Continuing the Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas (or ATTRA) program and clarifying the legislative language to ensure it is recognized as a nationally authorized program.

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Support regional food systems by creating a new program for rural entrepreneurship and enterprise facilitation, and increasing USDA’s capacity to collect data on local food.

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Maintain funding for existing programs such as the Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Extension Program, Organic Transitions Program; the Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers Program; and the Extension IPM Coordination and Support Program. [All of these programs are competitive grants programs that are administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Antibiotic Resistance Research program, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP)].

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Other research programs that are not located in the Research Title include the Section 2501 outreach programs for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, which since 2008 have been taken over by USDA’s Office of Outreach and Advocacy, the Risk Management Education Program; and the Community Food Projects (CFP) program, which, though administered by NIFA, is located in the Nutrition Title of the farm bill.


WHY: The nation’s investments in agricultural research profoundly affect the future of our food and farming system. How our farm and food system will look and function a generation from now will be determined to a significant extent by the research agenda we pursue today. Investment in agricultural research is vital to continued productivity and innovation in growing and diverse sectors of American agriculture. Consumer demand for local/regional, sustainably and organically produced foods has fueled strong, continued growth in these sectors of agriculture; yet federal investments in research to foster these sectors have not kept pace with this growth. Recently, climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration have been added to the list of urgent research needs. Research investments on ecologically sound, resilient farming systems have indeed never been more pressing. The Research Title of the next Farm Bill provides a unique opportunity to shape the food and agriculture systems of the future and foster continued growth and innovation in these emerging and diverse sectors of American agriculture. Farmers in every sector and of every scale need cutting-edge research that is easily accessible and relevant to their farming systems. Farm Bill Policy Options to Address Research Priorities: 

Increase the role of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in supporting sustainable farming and food systems by targeting funding to vital areas of research, education, and extension.

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Expand the emphasis within AFRI on organic and sustainable farming and food systems, strengthen AFRI’s classical breeding research priority area, increase AFRI’s role in local community development, and increase AFRI’s role in assisting the next generation of farmers by establishing a new research priority area on beginning farmers and ranchers

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Reauthorize and restore mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative

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Renew Mandatory funding for Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative

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Renew the $5 million mandatory funding for the Organic Production and Market Data Initiative - as well as an authorization to continue USDA’s data collection service for organic farmers and ranchers and businesses that source organic agricultural products into the future.

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Reauthorize Appropriate Technology Transfer For Rural Areas (ATTR) at $5 million. Access to technical assistance and information on sustainable agricultural production practices is vital to help many farmers enter, transition into, expand or diversify their sustainable farming systems.


III. Current Proposed Legislation (Marker Bills) That Include Elements that Address Some Northeast Priorities Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2011 - S. 1773, H.R. 3286 Summary: To promote local and regional farm and food systems, and for other purposes. Sponsors: Senator Sherrod Brown [D-OH] and Representative Chellie Pingree [D-ME1]

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 - S. 1850, H.R. 3236 Summary: A bill to expand and improve opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes. Sponsors: Senator Tom Harkin [D-IA] and Representative Tim Walz [D-MN1] Community-Supported Agriculture Promotion Act - S. 1414, H.R. 4012 Summary: A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to establish a community-supported agriculture promotion program. Sponsors: Senator Bernie Sanders [I-VT] and Representative Peter Welch [D-VT] Expanding Access to Farmers Markets Act - S. 1593 Summary: A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require State electronic benefit transfer contracts to treat wireless program retail food stores in the same manner as wired program retail food stores. Sponsor: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY] Healthy Food Financing Initiative - S. 1926, H.R. 3525 Summary: To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in the Department of Agriculture a Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Sponsors: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Allyson Schwartz [D-PA13] Livestock Marketing Fairness Act - S. 1026, H.R. 2631 Summary: A bill to amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to prohibit the use of certain anticompetitive forward contracts. Sponsors: Senator Michael Enzi [R-WY], Representative Cynthia Lummis [R-WY] Rural America Preservation Act of 2011 - S. 1161 Summary: A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to restore integrity to and strengthen payment limitation rules for commodity payments and benefits. Sponsor: Senator Chuck Grassley [R-IA] Specialty Crop Insurance Act of 2011 - S. 1905 Summary: A bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to support crop insurance for specialty crops, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]


IV. Farm Bill Platforms and Positions from Participating Organizations

New England Farmers Union (NEFU) http://newenglandfarmersunion.org/pdfs_docs/NEFU_FarmBillPlatform12-B[2].pdf Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA) http://www.farmbillfacts.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NEASDA-Farm-Bill-funding-prioritiesFINAL.pdf New York City Food and Farm Bill Working Group (NYCFFBWG) http://foodbillnyc.wikispaces.com/file/view/03.08.12_Food+and+Farm+Bill+Priorities_NYCFFBW G.pdf Center for a Livable Future – Johns Hopkins School of Public Health – http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/PDF_Files/farm_bill/Farmbill_priorities2011.pdf National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – http://sustainableagriculture.net/wpcontent/uploads/2008/08/2012_3_21NSACFarmBillPlatform.pdf Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) – http://www.foodsecurity.org/policy/FarmBillPriorities_Online_May2011.pdf National Organic Coalition (NOC) – http://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/FarmBill/NOC%20FB%20Summary%20DRAFT%20FEB2 012.pdf Wholesome Wave – http://wholesomewave.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FB-One-Pager-1.pdf American Farmland Trust (AFT): http://www.farmbillfacts.org; see also Northeast Farm Bill webinars School Food FOCUS – http://www.schoolfoodfocus.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FOCUSPolicy-Recommendations-Feb-2012.pdf National Young Farms Coalition (NYFC) – http://www.youngfarmers.org/policy/ Farm To Institution New England (FINE): http://www.farmtoinstitution.org/our-projects/policyrecommendations


V. Acknowledgments and Participating Organizations NESAWG thanks New England Farmers Union, Wholesome Wave, American Farmland Trust, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition for their collaboration on and contributions to aspects of this Agenda. NESAWG is also deeply appreciative of the many Northeast Farm Bill leaders and organizations that participated in the process of determining priorities and compiling this Agenda, including those listed below who participated in one or more NESAWG surveys. The policy options contained herein do not necessarily represent the position of the organizations listed below.

Alden Economic Development Committee Alternative Farming Systems Information Center American Farmland Trust Baltimore Food Policy Initiative Baum Forum/Food Systems Network NYC Berkshire County Boards of Health Association Berkshire Grown Beyond Oil NYC Black Urban Growers Boston Public Health Commission Brandeis University Broad Reach Fund Brooklyn Food Coalition Buy Fresh Buy Local - Greater Lehigh Valley CADE Cambridge Farmers Markets Castanea CATA CCE Madison County Center for an Agricultural Economy Chatham University CISA City Market CitySeed Clark University CLF Ventures Inc., an affiliate of Conservation Law Foundation College of the Atlantic Common Market Philadelphia Communities IMPACT Community Food Security Coalition Cornell Cooperative Extension Corporate Accountability International Council of State Governments-Eastern Regional Conference CROPP Coop/Organic Valley Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

DE Farm to School Collaborative Delaware State University Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Dept Preventative Medicine & Community Health, NJ Med School Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine Eden Hall Farm Fair Food Fair Food Network Farm Fresh Rhode Island Farm to Institution New England (FINE) Farm, Forest, and Fiddlehead Conservancy Farmhouse Food Field to Table, Inc. Food Bank of Central New York Food Systems Network NYC FoodAction NYC FRESH New London Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University Funders Network on Smart Growth Glynwood, Inc. Good Egg Marketing Gotham Greens GRACE Communications Foundation Greenfield Community College; Feeding Landscapes Greenmarket, GrowNYC Hawthorne Valley Farm Health Care Without Harm Holyoke Food and Fitness Policy Council Hometown Foods, LLC Hunger Action Network of NY State Intervale Center Johns Hopkins - Center for a Livable Future Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Josie Porter Farm


Just Food Karp Resources Kings College London Local Orbit MA Food Policy Alliance Mann Library, Cornell University Mass Workforce Alliance Mass. Farm to School Project Massachusetts Food Policy Alliance Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Merintra Co. LLC - Red Tomato MFFC Middle Branch Farm CSA Mohawk Valley Food Action Network Morgan County Assoc. for Food & Farms Muskie School of Public Service National Cooperative Business Association National Farmers Union National Organic Coalition National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition National Young Farmers Coalition Neighborhood Food Coop Association Director, Farmer Neighboring Food Co-op Association NESAWG New England Farmers Union New Entry Sustainable Farming Project New Farmer Development Project New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Newcastle University NH Farm Bureau NODPA Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Executive Director NOFA Interstate Council NOFA Vermont NOFA-VT Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture-NEASDA Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Northeast States Association for Ag Stewardship (NSAAS) Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance Nuestras Raices/ Holyoke Food and Fitness NY Small Scale Food Processors Assn. NYC Food & Farm Bill Working Group Ottauquechee Community Partnerhship Penn State Extension Penn State University Real Food Challenge

Red Tomato Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York Revolution Rickshaws ROC NY Rural Vermont Rutland Area Farm and Food Link School Food FOCUS Slow Food - NY Spring into Action Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture Stonyfield Farm SUNY Cobleskill, Beard Wellness Center Sustainable Cortland Syracuse University The BLK Project The Carrot Project The Elizabeth Peabody House The Food Project The Food Trust, Philadelphia The Hotchkiss School The Locavore Way The New School The Reinvestment Fund Tufts AFE/UEP Tufts Agriculture, Food, and Environment Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy UConn Cooperative Extension UNH School of Law/UNH Sustainability Academy Union Square Farmers Market/Green City Growers UNITE HERE Univeristy of Vermont University of Massachusetts University of New Hampshire University of Vermont Urban Design Lab @ The Earth Institute, Columbia University UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture Vermont Agency of Agriculture Vermont Farm Viability Program Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED), NOFA VT Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund VT FEED VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project Wallace Center at Winrock International Weaver Way Community Programs


Wellness in the Schools Western MA Food Processing Center Western Mass Center for Healthy Communities Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities Wharton School

Wholesome Wave Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute WV Food and Farm Coalition WVSU WVU

Principal Contributors: Amy Little, Kathy Ruhf, Michelle Rosenberg – Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) 845-255-0822, [email protected] Annette Higby - New England Farmers Union Education Foundation 802-728-7061, [email protected] Ned Porter - Wholesome Wave, 207-310-1047 [email protected]

Additional Contributors: Cris Coffin, Kip Kolesinskas - American Farmland Trust- New England Office Endnotes i

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Le vel/st99_2_002_002.pdf ii http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmPolicy/gov-pay.htm iii http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-dens-text.php v

US Census reports there to be 177,036 farms, though not all are accounted for. (http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-01.pdf; http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Lev el/st99_2_008_008.pdf) vi http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Le vel/st99_2_002_002.pdf vii Exact number is 17,699 (2007 Census of Ag, Table 61 [for CT-WV]) viii http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/MilkProdDi/MilkProdDi-04-27-2011.pdf ix http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmPolicy/gov-pay.htm
