“The Food and Energy Security Act is a major win for Michigan farmers and Michigan families” said Stabenow. “Agriculture remains our second largest industry, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout our state, and I am pleased to have been able to lead the successful fight for our state’s growers and small communities.”

Specialty crops- the fruits, vegetables and other crops that keep America healthy- make up half of the nation’s agricultural cash receipts, but have received little support in previous farm bills. That’s why this legislation is of particular importance to Michigan which grows more diversity of crops than any other state except California. We are proud to be a national leader in the production of numerous specialty crops, including blueberries, apples, cherries, asparagus, and celery.

Also included are numerous provisions encouraging environmental stewardship, investments in our rural communities, and improvement of our nutrition programs to provide healthier alternatives to those in need. Stabenow provisions in the bill include reauthorization of a program to protect the Great Lakes by controlling soil erosion and a “Buy American” provision directing the United States Department of Agriculture to enforce current law, which states that all federal funds and all purchases for use in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs must be from American farmers and growers.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Stabenow has served as a leading voice for Michigan throughout the crafting of this legislation. She has served on agricultural committees in all four legislative bodies in which she was a member, including the Michigan House, Michigan Senate, U.S. House and currently, the U.S. Senate. She is also the first Senator from Michigan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee since Senator Phil Hart from 1959 to 1962.

The bill will now go to conference committee between the House and the Senate.

Stabenow Specialty Crop Provisions Included in the Farm Bill

$120 million for tree removal assistance:
Will help increase payments to qualifying growers for tree removal and replacement as a result of damage caused by natural disaster. Current payments do not reflect the actual costs for removal and replacement.

$19 million for trade assistance:
Will help boost specialty crop exports by facilitating the removal of specialty crop trade barriers.

$27 million for organic crops:
Will aid growers to transition to organic crops.

$15 million for Asparagus:
Will help support domestic asparagus producers in Michigan, Washington, and California who were hurt by the Andean Trade Preference Act. The market loss program will compensate these growers to help them plant new acreage and invest in more efficient planting and harvesting equipment.

$80 Million for Specialty Crop Research - $80 million
Establishes a specialty crop priority focused grant program, awarding grants to eligible public and private entities to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop producers.

$80 Million for Organic Research
Provides for organic agriculture research and extension, to enhance the ability of organic producers and processors to grow and market organic food, feed, and fiber.

$94 million Market Access Program
Aids domestic specialty crop growers who have not benefited from reduced trade barriers, and develop a strategy plan to increase exports of specialty crops.

$850 million for Specialty Crop Growers in the Disaster Relief Trust Fund:
Currently, ad hoc agriculture disaster relief packages often get to farmers too late - sometimes years after the disaster. This delay can mean the difference between maintaining production and losing a farm for good. Michigan has received about $260 million in disaster relief from 1995 to 2006. This fund will ensure Michigan farmers can get these payments faster and easier.

$270 million for the State Block Grants for Specialty Crops program:
Will help support state programs encouraging the consumption of fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops and enhance the competitiveness of the specialty crop industry.

$200 million for pests and disease prevention:
Will direct the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to create a program determining and prioritizing foreign threats to specialty crops’ production, such as bio-terrorism and will help protect the specialty crop industry from pests and diseases.

$20 million for a National Clean Plant Network:
Will establish the National Clean Plant Network, which will help ensure that nurseries provide safe virus-free plant materials to orchards, vineyards, and other growers. Plant materials such as apples, peaches, and grapes are particularly vulnerable to viruses.

$30 million for farmers’ markets:
Will provide federal grants to support direct farmer-to-consumer marketing activities and transactions such as farmers’ markets, roadside stands, on-farm markets, and community supported agriculture.

$7 million for healthy food:
Will help support an infrastructure that serves healthy, affordable food to low-income communities.

$1.133 billion for the School Snack Program:
Will help support the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which helps increase children’s access to healthy food options, reducing their risk of obesity and improving their overall health.

$50 million for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program:
Will help support innovative community food projects and promote a wide variety of community-based solutions to local food system and food security problems.

$50 million for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program:
Will provide coupons to low-income seniors for the purchase of fresh, unprepared foods at farmers’ markets and other community based agriculture programs.

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