<p>Negotiations regarding the 5-year renewal of the U.S. Farm Bill have come to a close, according to a press release from the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, is announcing a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on the overdue Farm Bill.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The bipartisan agreement is expected to be voted on by the House as early as this week. The Senate could then vote on the bill by next week at the earliest.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">According to Senator Stabenow, The Agricultural Act of 2014 will have major reforms, including the historic elimination of the direct payment subsidy program, and a reduction of funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, a.k.a. "food stamps").<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"Today's bipartisan agreement brings us closer than ever to enacting a five-year Farm Bill that saves taxpayers billions, eliminates unnecessary subsidies, and helps farmers and business owners create jobs," said Stabenow. "This bill proves that by working across party lines we can save taxpayer money while at the same time strengthening efforts helping to create jobs."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The 2014 Farm Bill will eliminate direct payment subsidies, a landmark reform in American agricultural policy. Direct payments have been part of the system since the mid-90s, and were paid to farmers of specific commodity crops every year, regardless of need. This program is largely being replaced by crop-insurance and disaster relief programs. These programs will be available for a wider variety of crops than in the past, including many specialty crops like cherries and blueberries. Farmers will pay into the crop insurance program every year and they will be protected in times of bad weather. Because of this, American consumers will also be somewhat shielded from spikes in food prices.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Especially important for the fresh produce industry, growers of "specialty crops," including cherries, apples, blueberries, asparagus, and others, will be protected under crop insurance and disaster relief programs. The bill is also predicted to provide grants to invest in the research and promotion of specialty crops, as well as additional funding to prevent pest and disease threats.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The agreement reached regarding food stamps assistance will reduce spending by $8 billion over 10 years, according to Bloomberg. House Republicans initially suggested cuts of $40 billion, but negotiators eventually compromised on the final numbers. In fiscal 2013, food stamps totaled $76.1 billion. Nearly half of all food stamp redemptions are made in big-box stores like Wal-Mart, and the majority of the rest are made in retail grocery chains like Safeway.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Once passed by Congress, the 2014 Farm Bill will have another impact: It will help farmers and ranchers create jobs and make decisions for the future.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.stabenow.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1250" target="_new"> Senator Debbie Stabenow </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-27/deep-cuts-in-food-stamps-said-averted-in-farm-bill-deal.html" target="_new"> Bloomberg </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
