farm bill

Hilda Herrera of New York state is one of 40,000 people who rely on the SNAP program for help buying groceries.

Republican Farm Bill Calls On Many SNAP Recipients To Work Or Go To School

7:38pm April 12, 2018

Republicans in Congress have released their version of a new Farm Bill. It imposes new requirements on low-income recipients of food assistance, but continues traditional subsidies for farmers.

Many large-scale farms rely heavily on immigrant labor. And many farmers are opposed to Donald Trump's strong stance against illegal immigrant.

Big Battles Over Farm And Food Policies May Be Brewing As Trump Era Begins

3:30pm December 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump hasn't said much about food and farm policy or named his choices for top food-related jobs. But the coming years will likely see profound battles over food and nutrition.

Who speaks for rural America? Farmers want international trade deals and relief from regulations. But small towns are focused on re-inventing themselves to attract a new generation.

Farmers Are Courting Trump, But They Don't Speak For All Of Rural America

4:59pm November 29, 2016

by Dan Charles

With Donald Trump's victory, rural America is enjoying some political prominence, and farmers are hoping to profit. But most rural Americans aren't farmers. Small towns have their own priorities.

Arts

Farm Subsidies Persist And Grow, Despite Talk Of Reform

5:47pm February 01, 2016

by Dan Charles

The Farm Bill promised to cut subsidies to farmers. Instead, farmers will continue getting about $20 billion a year thanks to new programs that compensate farmers when corn and soybean prices fall.

Three years ago, Air Force veteran Sara Creech quit her job as a nurse and bought a 43-acre farm in North Salem, Ind. She named her farm Blue Yonder Organic.

National

From War To Plow: Why USDA Wants Veterans To Take Up Farming

4:26pm March 03, 2015

by Abby Wendle

Sara Creech's nursing career fell apart after she returned from Iraq with PTSD. She found purpose — and a new path — on the farm. Now, the USDA is giving veterans like her more financial support.

These wooden tokens are handed out to shoppers who use SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce at the Crossroads Farmers Market near Takoma Park, Md. Customers receive tokens worth twice the amount of money withdrawn from their SNAP benefits card — in o

How 'Double Bucks' For Food Stamps Conquered Capitol Hill

12:52pm November 17, 2014

by Dan Charles

The federal government is putting $100 million behind a simple idea: doubling the value of federal food benefits when people use them to buy fresh produce. This idea started small but became a hit.

Queue Listen Now

The farm bill proposes a $1 billion cut to food stamps, which would affect nearly 850,000 struggling families who already depend on food banks like the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, Calif.

Small Cuts To Food Stamps Add Up To Big Pains For Many Recipients

8:00pm January 30, 2014

by Richard Gonzales

The proposed farm bill would cut nearly $1 billion a year from the food stamp program, known as SNAP. While it's far less than what Republicans had originally wanted, the proposal will affect roughly 850,000 households, many of which are still struggling from cuts made only three months ago.

Queue Listen Now

Peanut plants grow on a Halifax, N.C., farm that received federal subsidies in 2011.

Farm Bill Critics Claim Partial Victory Despite Stalemate

10:20am January 10, 2013

by Dan Charles

Payments to farmers survived in the latest extension of the farm bill. But not all of the groups that argued for the end of the subsidies see this as a loss. They've just been given nine more months to make their case to Congress.

Queue Listen Now

Dairy farmer Bob Andrews feeds heifers in the same barn his grandfather used. He says today "the harder you work, the further you get behind."

Politics & Government

Milk Producers Peer Over The Dairy Cliff

9:09am December 05, 2012

by David Sommerstein

The expiration of the farm bill has left dairy farmers without a milk pricing program — and a safety net. While all farmers are watching closely, milk producers face an environment where cow feed costs more than cow milk.

Queue Listen Now