ACTION ALERT -- ASK YOUR REP TO SUPPORT PAYMENT LIMITS

The Farm Bill process is starting to look more and more like the myth of Sisyphus. Just two weeks ago, the rock of real payment limitations was rolled to the top of the hill when the House voted 265-158 to instruct conferees to accept the Senate version of payment limits. But the weight of massive subsidies sent that rock rolling back down this week, when conferees revealed they had combined the worst aspects of the House and Senate's approach to commodity payments: a $360,000 payment limitation and commodity certificate loopholes that will continue to allow millions to flow to the largest farms. While the conferees accepted high Senate loan rates they rejected measures like the Senate's Durbin amendment, which would have prohibited newly-cropped land from receiving crop subsidy payments.

Undaunted, we're rolling that rock up the hill again: and we need your help. The House may offer a "motion to recommit" the farm bill to keep payment limitations. Essentially, this motion says to the conferees, "Go back and put in payment limitations that mean something!" The House is still wrangling over whether the motion to recommit is in order, but if it moves forward, it will likely move quickly. Please summon one last push and call your Representative now (Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121), and tell them, "The House may offer a motion to recommit the farm bill to the conference committee telling them to follow the will of the House and accept reasonable payment limitations. Ask them to please support this motion if it comes up."

When it comes to farm bill negotiations, it looks like the fat lady is waiting in the wings to start her song. While pundits and analysts try to "name that tune", corporate agribusiness interests head for the bank humming the refrain to "We're in the Money." So far on both the commodities and conservation fronts, Big Ag secured massive taxpayer subsidies. Even the conservative Republican Senator Richard Lugar (Indiana) says the 75.5 billion farm bill approved by a House-Senate conference committee throws "good money after bad." According to the Washington Bureau, Lugar says that with the new farm bill, "the richest large farmers would get bigger and richer, crop prices would continue to fall, and more small farmers would be pushed off the land." In related news two progressive family farm organizations the American Corn Growers Association and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture refused to endorse the farm bill because of missed opportunities like payment limitation, producer arbitration and packer bans. The 421 page conference report is available on the web at http://agriculture.house.gov/fbconfrpt.htm

3. ENERGY TITLE: MONEY FOR RENEWABLES, MONEY FOR ADM

The final Farm Bill does contain, for the first time, an energy title that encourages on-farm efficiency gains and renewable energy investment, and promotes development of fuels and products from renewable agricultural products. The title establishes a new program directing federal agencies to purchase commercial and industrial products made from renewable agricultural products when the quality and price are comparable to non- renewable products. It also authorizes grants for "energy audits" which will help farmers figure out how to improve efficiency and which renewable energy types are most appropriate for their situation. The title also establishes a $15 million per year loan guarantee and grant program to assist farmers in purchasing renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements. The largest portion of the bill, however, over $20 million per year, will continue payments to bioenergy producers who buy agricultural products as raw materials for the production of fuel ethanol and biodiesel. Critics of the program call this a huge subsidy to large ethanol producers like Archer-Daniels-Midland.

The American farm animal was once considered a pastoral art subject, fit for paintings, prime for capturing on Kodachrome. Not any longer. Now, the Illinois State Representatives have made it a felony to photograph a farm animal. In February the Illinois House passed HB 5793 which would prohibit the photographing of factory animal farms According to the Chicago Tribune (4/30/2002), the bill specifically, "makes it a crime to be on a farm (or other "animal facility") and photograph or videotape pigs or any other animals without the consent of the owner if one's intent is to 'damage the enterprise.'" While animal rights advocates and factory farm critics say the bill is intended to take away the "visuals" that graphically capture the violence and pollution of factory farming, the bill is supported by the Illinois Farm Bureau who says the bill is intended to prevent "animal espionage." While the bill is stalled in the Illinois Senate, tourists should be aware and shutterbug at their own risk.

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