The reintroduction of a federal bipartisan bill has the potential to change the way that farmers handle farm and ranch operations, and it could ultimately reduce their costs, especially as floods and droughts impact production.
The Farmer to Farmer Education Act, or S.1769, aims to strengthen coordination between farmer-to-farmer networks and United States Department of Agriculture agencies like the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The bill would offer farmers more resources to better understand and tackle agriculture-related challenges.
S.1769 was reintroduced by Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Jerry Moran (R-KY) in mid-May after they first introduced the legislation together in 2023 as S.2614, when it was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Two years later, supporters hope S.1769 will gain traction in order to provide effective peer-to-peer training and more substantial support for "historically underserved producers."
In a press release following the reintroduction of the bill, Luján described the reasoning behind this new iteration, spotlighting its relationship to the state he represents. "Farming is deeply ingrained in New Mexico's history and culture, with communities that have cultivated the land for generations," Luján said.
"Local farmers are skilled at managing challenges like unpredictable weather, drought, and flooding. However, existing programs often fall short in providing the support and guidance needed during these times," added Luján.
Samantha Levy, senior policy manager for conservation and energy at American Farmland Trust, explained the significance of the bill. "When it comes to adopting conservation practices, farmers trust information and guidance from other farmers," Levy said in the release from Luján's office.
As reported by Where The Food Comes From, conservation practices such as planting cover crops for soil quality, managing nutrients, and rotational grazing can go a long way in keeping operational costs down and loss prevention up — perhaps especially in the wake of extreme weather challenges. However, these practices can often go overlooked due to a lack of resources — again, perhaps especially in the wake of extreme weather chaos, exacerbated by rising global temperatures and the human-caused pollution driving them.
If passed, S.1769 could help support more farmers in implementing these sometimes underutilized conservation practices. Not only might this improve the agriculture industry overall, but it may also boost the resilience of the country's food system, with farmers and consumers already having faced some price hikes and disrupted access due to climate-strained supply chains.
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