FISCAL YEAR 2009 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
FUNDING PRIORITIES

• Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program
• Outreach and Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers ("Section 2501" Program)
• Conservation Security Program (CSP)
• The Value Added Producer Grants Program (VAPG)
• The Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program (BFRDP)
• The Community Food Projects (CFP)
• Organic Transitions Research (OTR)

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program

This highly rated national information service answers practical questions from farmers and others who call its 1-800 telephone number, get help from its website, or attend its workshops. A caller to ATTRA speaks in person with professional staff who answer a wide variety of agronomic, livestock, marketing, and entrepreneurial questions with reliable information, evaluated and summarized many technical resources that few farmers have time or resources to access.

ATTRA's services are in great demand, exceeding 26,000 technical requests last year and drawing over 2.9 million unique visitors its website, from which there were over 2.5 million publication downloads! Currently, due to insufficient funding, ATTRA turns down 3 out of 5 requests for in-person workshops or presentations around the nation due to limited resources and staff availability.

President Bush proposes zero funding for ATTRA in FY09! This is short-sighted for a program that is used by farmers, consumers, extension agents, and many others who seek reliable, fact-based information.

There is authorizing language for ATTRA in both House and Senate versions of the 2008 Farm Bill.

ATTRA is an extraordinarily efficient program and stretches taxpayer dollars extremely far. However, its funding has averaged $2.5 million since FY02! Please ask your senators and representatives for $3 million in funding to respond to the growing and unmet demand for ATTRA's services, including new demands for information on farm energy and post-disaster enterprise re-planning.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a competitive grants program funding producer-driven research, education, and extension initiatives on ways farmers and ranchers can produce, market and distribute their crops and livestock using profitable, environmentally and socially sound practices.

SARE's efficient administration and responsive service prompts one federal administrator to describe it as "a jewel in the crown" of USDA programs. But even efficiency can't compensate for cuts imposed four years in a row since FY03. For FY09, the Bush budget proposes even more cuts — to $9.1 million for research and education components of the program and $3.8 million for extension and outreach – a 32% cut! SARE is authorized at $40 million and $20 million, respectively.

SARE’s longstanding under-funding means it can approve only a fraction of even excellent proposals. Last year, it funded fewer than 10% of research and education proposals submitted! Given SARE’s importance to stimulating agricultural innovation and economic growth, we seek $20 million in funding — $15 million for research and education and $5 million for extension and outreach.

Outreach and Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers ("Section 2501" Program)

The "2501" program helps small and minority farmers access USDA's credit, commodity, conservation and other programs. President Bush's FY09 budget proposes funding at $6.9 million, an increase but far short of what's needed to expand the number of counties where thousands of small and socially disadvantaged farmers can profit from training and outreach.

"Section 2501" targets information on farm management, production, and marketing assistance to minority producers through community-based organizations that have worked with them and know their assistance needs.

The 2501 program has provided outreach to more than 100,000 rural constituents and been an invaluable resource for the more than 400 counties where it has been implemented. Though the program is authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill at $25 million, it has never been given more than its current $6.4 million a year. Please ask your senators and representatives for $10 million for the 2501 program.

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

CSP rewards innovative and proactive stewardship practices, while keeping farmers and their land in production — in ways consistent with free trade regulations. Assistance applies to the full spectrum of working agricultural lands, from cropland to pasture to rangeland. Farmers and ranchers describe it as "the program I've waited 25 years for" and "the best conservation program in the federal government." But last year many were angry that even when they were eligible for CSP and in target CSP watersheds, there wasn't enough money to sign them up.

In the program's first three years, contracts were signed with over 19,000 producers nationwide, implementing conservation practices on over 15.6 million acres. Even more will be served when farmers are permitted to enroll for the sign-ups that were funded last year.

Despite CSP's nationwide popularity, President Bush's FY09 budget proposal cuts the program by $141 million to $360 million! Please ask your representatives for the program to be fully funded and allowed to serve all eligible farmers and ranchers nationwide who want to participate!

The Value Added Producer Grants Program (VAPG)

The Value Added Producer Grants Program (VAPG) offers competitive grants to farmers and ranchers developing new farm and food-related businesses that boost farm income, create jobs, and increase rural economic opportunity. As farmers and rural communities face tough economic times, VAPG grants encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in agriculture. They fund agricultural projects across many types of crops and livestock, ranging from writing business plans to providing working capital funds.

Despite growing demand for these grants, VAPG has been cut five years in a row and is currently funded at $18.9 million - less than half of its authorized $40 million mandatory funding level in the 2002 Farm Bill! And President Bush proposes to ELIMINATE funding for this important program in Fiscal Year 2009.

Please encourage your senators and congressional representatives to support $40 million for this important program.

The Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program (BFRDP)

The Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program (BFRDP) addresses key obstacles facing beginning farmers and ranchers. It provides smart, cost-effective start-up support and education for America’s next generation of family farmers. The BFRDP supports collaborative local, state, and regional networks and partnerships to supply financial and entrepreneurial training, mentoring and apprenticeship programs, “land link” programs, conservation planning, and education and outreach activities to assist beginning farmers and ranchers, including targeted funds for socially disadvantaged and new immigrant producers.

In recent decades, farm entry rates have declined; in many states, the farmer "replacement rate” has fallen to below 50 percent. There are twice as many farmers over 65 as under 35 years old, and entry-level farmers now make up only 10 percent of farmers and ranchers.

Last July, USDA’s own Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee recommended passage of the BFRDP in the 2008 Farm Bill and funding it at $20 million per year. Yet, President Bush proposes to zero fund this important new program for FY09! We encourage you to oppose those cuts and urge your Members of Congress to support funding BFRDP at no less than $15 million.

The Community Food Projects (CFP)

The Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program helps low-income people gain access to fresh, nutritious food supplies and increase communities’ self-reliance in meeting their own food needs. CFP grants support innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers by integrating local food, farm, and nutrition issues. Community Food Projects promote long-term solutions to combat food insecurity, create business opportunities for local farmers and ranchers, and increase access to local and healthy foods for school children and other consumers.

Since 1996, the CFP Program has benefited local communities and low-income families nationwide with over 250 projects funded. However, demand has long outstripped available resources. In 2005 and 2006, of all applications submitted, only 15% and 17% were funded, respectively. Please urge your congressional representatives to fund the Community Food Projects at no less than $10 million for Fiscal Year 2009.

Organic Transitions Research (OTR)

Organic Transitions Research (OTR) is a research grants program that helps farmers surmount challenges of organic production and marketing. As the organic industry continues its fast growth, extension agents and others report more producers seeking reliable information on making the transition to organic production. Growers have a wide range of complex questions about organic agriculture, and research addressing those questions provides information useful to many sectors of U.S. agriculture.

Currently projects funded through the Organic Transitions Research program are overseen by researchers in fifteen states, a substantial increase from a few years ago, but still far short of the amount required to meet the needs of producers across the country. In FY07, organic research funding had only grown to about 1% of total federal agricultural research funding, while market share continued to accelerate past 3.5%.

OTR has never exceeded its FY03 level of $2.125 million. It received $1.9 million for the next four years and was further cut to $1.8 million for FY08. President Bush proposes eliminating all funding for Organic Transitions Research program in FY09 — we encourage you instead to ask your Senators and congressional representatives to support $5 million.

© 2007-2008 National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.