WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King, the Senate today passed H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, more commonly known as the Farm Bill, by a vote of 68-32.

Following the vote, Senator King released the following statement:

“Following extensive negotiations, I am pleased the Senate passed the 2013 Farm Bill, which defines our nation’s agricultural policy over the next five years. Agriculture is, as it always has been, a cornerstone of Maine’s economy, and while this final piece of legislation is far from perfect, it significantly reforms current policy to support many of the diverse needs and priorities of farming, conservation, and forestry industries within Maine and across America.

“Farmers across Maine – including our apple, blueberry, and potato growers – will benefit from the increased funding for specialty crop block grants while additional funding for the Farmers Market Promotion Program will support local farmers as they strive to provide healthy, locally grown foods through the thriving farmers’ market movement in Maine. Additionally, by reauthorizing the Cooperative Extension Program and including language from Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013, which I cosponsored, the bill makes critical strides in helping young farmers and ranchers enter the market. This is particularly important in Maine where our expanding local food movement is being driven in part by a growing number of young farmers. The bill also requires economic and scientific impact analyses of rules proposed under the Food Safety Modernization Act, which will help ensure that small and mid-sized farmers across Maine are not unduly burdened by federal regulations.

“As with any compromise legislation, though, the bill is not perfect. I am disappointed that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been cut by $8 billion, which is double of what was proposed in the Senate bill I supported last year. However, I do appreciate that the level of cuts were far less than the unacceptable $40 billion proposed in the House bill. I am also particularly frustrated that the final bill does not include Senator Collins’ provision to initiate a process to restructure the outdated milk-pricing system, which continues to negatively impact Maine’s small dairy farmers. I will continue to work with my colleagues to see that USDA hears the concerns of Maine’s dairy farmers moving forward.

“Providing our food producers with a sense of certainty and our most vulnerable members of society with a sense of food security is essential to this nation’s future economic stability. I am confident that this five-year Farm Bill accomplishes a great deal towards that goal and marks a positive step forward.”

John Rebar, Executive Director of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, added:

“Having a Farm Bill will bring certainty to many aspects of US agriculture.  The reauthorization of Cooperative Extension is critical to continue our support for the growth of the Maine Food System. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program in this Farm Bill is something we will hope to take advantage of. Maine is experiencing a growth in our number of farmers, the average age of farmers is going down and the diversity of things being produced through Maine agriculture is going up. This is an exciting time to be involved in Maine food production. Interest in buying locally produced foods and knowing where your food comes from is growing. Having a Farm Bill means that for the next five years Maine Agriculture and the University of Maine will know the federal opportunities and policies that can be an asset to this growing sector of our economy.”

David Bell, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, said:

“The Farm Bill is particularly important to the rural economy of Maine. For example, 60,000 acres of Wild Blueberries bring over $250 million per year into the state and support over 2,500 jobs. The Specialty Crop Title of the Farm Bill will help support University of Maine research and Cooperative Extension education to help growers improve the sustainability of their crop- and our Maine economy.”

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