Every five years, Congress passes a Farm Bill, which encompasses a wide range of issues, including conservation, rural development, forestry, and nutrition. Since the 2018 Farm Bill will expire in 2023, Congress has begun to hold hearings and receive input about the next iteration of the bill.

Additional Congressional field hearings could also potentially be scheduled later in the year.

While the actual “brass tacks” work on drafting the next Farm Bill may not occur until 2023, farm and conservation groups are beginning to advance their own policies to take to Congress.

Engaging in the development of the 2023 Farm Bill is a top priority for the Family Farm Alliance, both internally and through our association with the Western Agriculture and Conservation Coalition (WACC).

CLICK HERE to read Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen’s commentary in Western Farmer Stockman magazine on how the Alliance is working with the WACC to find common ground on the 2023 Farm Bill.

Check out this amazing video about the WACC, produced by our friends at Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA): WACC: The Power of Partnerships.

FCA has produced another new video about how the WACC is working with Alliance President Patrick O’Toole to put farm bill conservation programs to good use on his Wyoming ranch: WACC: Conservation & Production at Ladder Ranch.

The Alliance has been working for much of the year, developing specific recommendations for policy makers to consider as they craft the 2023 Farm Bill.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources last month held its first hearing since 2013, titled “The Western Water Crisis: Confronting persistent drought and building resilience on our forests and farmland.”

The Family Farm Alliance developed extensive written testimony in advance of this hearing, which Subcommittee Chairman Michael Bennet (D-COLORADO) asked to be included in the record in his opening remarks yesterday.

The Alliance testimony provided specific recommendations for Congress to consider as lawmakers seek to address Western drought and wildfire challenges in the 2023 Farm Bill.

We look forward to working with Congress to build a new Farm Bill that embeds some of these sensible, workable policies.