Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) have put forward a bill that would make United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs easier to apply to for farmers.
The Improving Access to Farm Conservation Act (H.R. 1163) would specifically ease the responsibility of farmers to report finances.
“If we want more producers to engage in conservation efforts, we’ve got to make sure that it makes financial sense for them to do so,” Crawford said in a press release. “While well-intentioned, we’ve learned that the DUNS/SAM reporting requirements pose an unnecessary burden on producers and made it much harder for farmers to participate in conservation programs. Our bill will remove these requirements so that our farmers can focus on implementing conservations strategies, instead of having to worry about complying with costly regulatory mandates.”
Family farms are not responsible for the same information as commercial farms and many farms organize themselves as business entities, which requires them to provide more information to the USDA. Although many conservation programs help individual family farms with cost-sharing payment plans, farms that are considered business entities must comply with federal regulations pertaining to commercial farms.
“New Hampshire’s identity is deeply rooted in our state’s beautiful open spaces and our rich tradition of agriculture,” Kuster said. “If we can encourage farmers to protect their farm land in a way that keeps them competitive and in business, that’s a win-win for farmers and our state. It’s commonsense that small family farms shouldn’t be subjected to the same reporting regulations as large federal contractors, and this legislation will cut red tape for New Hampshire farmers who want to access important voluntary conservation programs.”
If H.R. 1163 passes, it would be a tremendous help to family farms who organize together for legal purposes but who need help with the reporting requirements.
