WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted Tuesday to approve the House-Senate farm bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32. The five-year farm bill was approved by the House of Representatives last week and now heads to the President for signature. The bill protects 16 million American jobs supported by agriculture, including 30,000 in Delaware. The farm bill also reduces our deficit by $23 billion by eliminating unnecessary direct payment subsidies, consolidating programs to end duplication, and cracking down on food assistance abuse.

“Agriculture is a vital economic engine for Delaware, and this bill is good for Delaware farmers,” Senator Coons said. “I was proud to vote today for a comprehensive, five-year farm bill that supports Delaware’s farmers and poultry growers, invests in critical conservation and rural energy programs, and preserves nutrition assistance for millions of food insecure Americans. While not perfect, this compromise legislation takes important steps to strengthen America’s farm policy and reduce our deficit. I am thankful that Congress has come together to approve this bill and provide long-awaited certainty to our farmers in Delaware and across the country.”

The farm bill includes a number of important provisions that benefit Delawareans and were championed by Senator Coons. They are highlighted below:

Poultry

Includes a provision authored by Senator Coons, co-chair of the Senate’s Chicken Caucus, and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to assist poultry growers during uncertain economic times. The bipartisan Coons-Chambliss provision commissions a pair of studies on the feasibility of insurance programs to protect America’s poultry growers from catastrophic loss, such as disease outbreaks, and from bankruptcies of poultry integrators. More here: http://1.usa.gov/1iHs1rb

Fruits & Vegetables

Increases funding for Specialty Crop Block Grants to $72.5 million/year in mandatory funding through FY17, and $85 million/year thereafter. The program helps Delaware farmers stay competitive by funding research focused on strengthening crop resiliency and increasing crop yields. Delaware received $229,084 in funding for five projects last year, and will receive approximately $351,000 in FY14. 

Nutrition

Authorizes the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to help address Delaware’s 15 identified food deserts, including 11 in New Castle County. The initiative supports revolving loan programs and grants to help fresh, healthy food retailers overcome high costs of entry into underserved urban, suburban, and rural communities. 

Creates the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program to help SNAP recipients purchase healthy, local produce. The bill also clarifies that SNAP benefits can be used to purchase a share in a Community Supported Agriculture program, where participants receive a regular share of a farm’s harvest.

Increases mandatory funding to food banks and community food grants through the Emergency Food Assistance Program by $50 million in FY15. 

Conservation

Ensures that the Chesapeake Bay will remain eligible to compete for conservation funding under the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program. A new USDA report shows that conservation practices adopted by farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have resulted in significant nutrient pollution reductions since 2006. 

Creates a new conservation easement program that will allow Delaware farmers to continue to preserve working farmlands. Delaware received $4.9 million for agricultural land preservation through the 2008 version of this program. 

Rural Energy

Includes $879 million in mandatory funding for USDA renewable energy and biofuels programs over the next 10 years.

Includes $500 million for the Rural Energy for America Program, which helps rural businesses and farmers conduct energy audits and install renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. In 2012, the program funded two successful projects to improve energy efficiency in Kent County and deploy solar power in Sussex County.

Expands the Biorefinery Assistance Program to include renewable chemical and bio-based product manufacturing – which could benefit Delaware’s innovative chemical industry – and includes $200 million over 10 years for the program.