Farm bill will affect everyone who eats

Think the farm bill coming before Congress has nothing to do with you? Think again. As president of the largest general farm organization in New Jersey, it's my job to represent the interests of farmers.

And, of course, the farm bill is important to those who tend the land for their livelihoods. But if you eat, enjoy fresh air and clean water, or drive a car, you should know that the farm bill is important to you too.

Here's why.

The farm bill is a huge piece of federal legislation that is re-enacted every five years. It includes many programs that impact not just farmers, but all of us. Probably the most well-known farm programs are those where the federal government makes payments to farmers to keep them financially viable.

These payments (sometimes called subsidies) are typically made when commodity prices drop unusually low, or when other events outside the farmers' control make it hard for them to make ends meet.

Without these price supports, some farmers might not be able to continue farming. In New Jersey, land that leaves agriculture usually gets developed. That field of corn you might see on your way to work every day makes for both a great view and a water recharge area. And because it's undeveloped, it's also a good way to help keep local property taxes at bay.

Preserving farmland is something we know a lot about in New Jersey. We've got one of the best farmland preservation programs in the nation.

The farm bill also has a program for the same purpose, called the federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program. We need to make sure New Jersey gets its fair share of those federal program funds, and also make sure that those funds can be seamlessly integrated into our own already successful state program.

There are many other conservation-oriented programs in the farm bill that assist farmers in implementing and maintaining sound environmental practices on their farms. These practices help to protect soil, water and air quality.

Many of these improvements are things farmers want to do - like putting in grass buffer strips near waterways, or installing water-conserving irrigation systems - but can't afford. The farm bill provides cost-share grants to farmers for these improvements.

We at the New Jersey Farm Bureau strongly support conservation initiatives that focus on working lands. We have concerns about conservation funds that take land out of production; they must be restricted to lands that are particularly significant for environmental reasons.

In New Jersey, unlike Iowa, we simply don't have any extra land to spare. A provision in the last farm bill, called the Regional Equity Provision, ensures that every state gets a guaranteed share of those conservation dollars. We need to make sure that regional equity is included, and perhaps increased, in this new farm bill.

Many of New Jersey's neediest families are already beneficiaries of the farm bill, without even knowing it. Food stamps, healthy snack programs for schools and special farmers¿ market coupon programs for seniors and others in need are all programs in the farm bill.

One growing aspect of the farm bill covers renewable energy issues. It will likely include new programs to increase energy efficiency on farms, and increase the development of new renewable energy sources. With prices rising almost daily at the gas pumps, finding new, domestic sources of renewable energy is a welcome addition to this federal law.

Keeping farmers profitable, and working the land. Improv-ing the quality of our environment. Increasing the availability of fresh, locally grown food. Food and energy independence. That's what is at stake in this new farm bill. The farm bill isn't just about farming, and it isn't just important to farmers. It should be important to all of us.

Richard Niewenhuis

president

New Jersey Farm Bureau

Trenton