The 2018 Farm Bill

Question 1

What is a farm bill?

Answer 1

Package of legislation passed roughly every 5 years that has tremendous impacts on farming livelihoods, how food is grown, and what kinds of food are grown

Question 2

What is the current farm bill?

Answer 2

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, expires in 2023

Question 3

How much is the Farm Bill projected to cost?

Answer 3

$428 billion

Question 4

How many titles are in the farm bill?

Answer 4

12

Question 5

Commodities Title

Answer 5

• price and income support for the farmers who raise non-perishable crops
• includes agricultural disaster assistance

Question 6

Conservation

Answer 6

• covers programs that help farmers implement natural resource conservation efforts on working lands (pasture, cropland)

Question 7

Trade

Answer 7

• covers food export subsidy programs and international food aid programs

Question 8

Nutrition

Answer 8

covers SNAP and other nutrition programs to help low income families

Question 9

Credit

Answer 9

covers federal loan programs designed to help farmers access the financial credit they need to grow and sustain their farming operations

Question 10

Rural Development

Answer 10

covers programs that help foster economic growth through rural business and community development and rural housing and infrastructure

Question 11

Research, Extension, and Related Matters

Answer 11

farm and food research, education, and extension programs

Question 12

Forestry

Answer 12

forest specific conservation programs that help farmers and rural communities to be stewards of forest resources

Question 13

Horticulture

Answer 13

covers farmers market and local food programs, horticultural crops, and organic farming certification programs

Question 14

Crop Insurance

Answer 14

premium subsidies to farmers and private crop insurance companies to protect against losses in yield, crop revenue, or whole farm revenue

Question 15

Miscellaneous

Answer 15

beginning, socially disadvantaged, veteran farmers and ranchers, ag labor safety and workforce development, and livestock health

Question 16

How much funding for nutrition?

Answer 16

$325.8 billion

Question 17

How much funding for crop insurance?

Answer 17

$38.5 billion

Question 18

How much funding for commodities

Answer 18

$29.8 billion

Question 19

How much funding for conservation?

Answer 19

$29.6 billion

Question 20

Horticulture, Miscellaneous, Forestry, Rural Development, Credit, Research, and everything else

Answer 20

$4.2 billion

Question 21

What is the process of writing the Farm Bill?

Answer 21

1. Hearings
2. House/Ag Committees draft and debate to pass a bill
3. Congress debates each bill
4. Conference Committee–combined version goes back to the house and senate to be debated and eventually passed
5. Approved bill is sent to the President to sign