A Midwest farm group’s perspective:
Trends, impacts and opportunities
High commodity prices and greater commodity production
High land prices and high credit demand
Massive soil erosion
Intensive consolidation and concentration of ag sectors impacting farm landscape
Very powerful corporate ag lobby
Unbalanced playing field
Demand for working lands programs
Interest in farming
$702 billion = SNAP
$80 billion = Crop Insurance
$70 billion = Commodity Program
$63 billion = Conservation Programs
$6 billion = Everything Else
Tools and resources Working lands suite Land retirement and protection programs Conservation compliance
3,384 applicants 1,578 contracts - second in the nation $21 million to maintain and enhance
conservation - top in the nation
Survey results 95% felt CSP enabled them to do conservation High satisfaction, would recommend to a
neighbor Lack of transparency Inequitable distribution Should be in next Farm Bill
Long-term investments: Passage to Implementation to Usage to Results
Building power: The importance of state and regional-based groups
Groundswell – 101 organizing “Many faces, Many places”
PLAETZ FARM, AUGUST 2009
WASHINGTON D.C. JAN. 2007
SCHWERMANN FARM, JUNE 2008
PETERSON FARM, AUGUST 2008