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Congress may take the only Farm Bill action politically possible this month, which is to extend the old Farm Bill yet again.   “In the Senate, we can’t reach an agreement that reflects what the House has done in a bipartisan way to make sure the next five-year farm bill reflects the inflation in agriculture that has been obvious since 2018," noted Senate Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa.   I

Congress returns in two weeks and Ag lawmakers are expected to resume their push for a long overdue Farm Bill.  Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow told Politico on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, that she still hopes to pass one more Farm Bill before she retires from the Senate.  But Sta...

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene introduced legislation that would make it easier for Americans participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to access job training services.

This one-pager is designed to be easily digestible and breaks the otherwise complicated farm bill legislation into two primary parts: the farm safety net and the nutrition title.

2023 marks five years since the last Farm Bill was voted on and put into play so it is time to draw up a new bill.

If you're thinking of growing a garden this year, you can get a free seed kit from Oregon State University Extension's statewide seed giveaway, thanks to the “Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge.”  It’s spearheaded by Food Hero, a statewide initiative of the Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Program.   "Anyone in Oregon ...

Most Oregonians who receive food assistance through the SNAP program will again see a larger allotment this month; but it’s the last time emergency food benefits will go out.  Around 416,000 Oregon households will share an additional 71-thousand dollars in payments in February.  March will be...

The push to get a farm bill across the finish line this year could run headlong into the partisan fight over budget cuts versus raising the government’s borrowing limit.  On Thursday, new House Ag Chair, Republican Glenn Thompson stressed that lawmakers have a deadline in front of them, since the current Farm Bill expires on September 30th of this year.  While that de...

According to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, when it comes to crafting the new Farm Bill, the USDA’s role is one of advisory and providing information.  But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a wish list of his own.  First, he said it will be important all sides work together to get a Farm Bill done on time.    “It will be important and n...

The Senate’s $1.7 trillion spending bill to finish this fiscal year boosts agricultural research, rural development, and nutrition, but doesn’t include long-fought cattle market reforms.  The more than 4,000-page bill leaves out controversial legislation sought by Senator Chuck Grassley to force some cattle price negotiating by major packers, known as the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Ac