(We are very excited to welcome Susie Marshall, founder and executive director of The Gleaning Network of Texas, and founder of the Dallas Food Policy Council, as NIDFW's INFORM+ENGAGE+EMPOWER: FOOD community liaison, and we think you will find her first post for us about the Farm Bill that is in front of Congress both very informative and timely. You can learn more about Susie here. Thank you very much for sharing your insight and perspective, Susie!)

When I first sat down to write this post, it was with a sense of urgency. The Farm Bill was facing potential cuts of up to $23 million affecting crop subsidy and food assistance safety net programs. A handful of Congressmen were working behind closed doors in budget negotiations to create something that have far-reaching consequences on our nation’s food system. But now that the Super Committee has failed to reach agreement, the Farm Bill is safe. For now.

The Farm Bill is legislation with which many people are at least nominally familiar. Every five years or so, it comes up for reauthorization. Normally, the Farm Bill is openly discussed and debated and publically worked on for about a year by the USDA and non-profit groups that support farmers and agriculture, though not without influence from Big Ag (industrial agriculture companies like ConAgra, Monsanto, etc). For our country, it is one macro example of food policy. Mostly known for its subsidies to farmers, the Farm Bill is really a complex puzzle of programs that has national security at its root.

So what is the Farm Bill really?

It should be called the Food Bill or the Food and Farm Bill. It’s one of - if not the - largest pieces of legislation affecting our food and affecting those who don’t always get enough food. There is a really great explanation of the whole Food & Farm Bill here, written by Scott Marlow of RAFI-USA.  If you want to really see how the money within the Food and Farm Bill is allocated, check out the Farm Bill Visualizer.

Basically, the Food & Farm Bill was created to ensure that our country had enough food to feed its military in wartime. So, it’s about national security at its core. A total of ten Titles, or parts, of the Food & Farm Bill line out its various parts, including land conversation, agriculture research, rural development, and renewable energy. But it also has begun to provide price subsidies for Big Ag to buy grains really cheaply to feed cattle (who shouldn’t eat grain) to produce cheap meat that allows fast foods to be cheap and readily available. Ok, so maybe it’s not that straight forward, but it’s close.

Part of the Food and Farm Bill that was in jeopardy is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or what was previously known as Food Stamps. This safety net program allows families to supplement their income with money to buy food. This is am important safety net program. Is it perfect? No. But it is needed. If we lose more money for this program, it may be difficult to get back. More people than ever are qualifying for and in need of SNAP benefits since 2008. It is really essential to keeping families from falling farther down into poverty and hunger.

Facts on Texas Hunger

 In Texas, 1 in 6 households are at risk for hunger, putting Texas second in the nation for food insecurity. A person is food insecure if they will most likely eat something for the next meal but they may not know what that is or where it’s going to come from. This term also describes parents who don’t eat a meal or who eat very little so their children can have enough to eat. Nearly half of all SNAP recipients are working. Only half of the people in Texas who may be able to receive SNAP benefits, actually receive them. (For more information, go here.)

Other Legislation that Supports Local Farms

Interestingly enough, Representative Chellie Pingree and Senator Sherrod Brown have introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act into Congress. This bill is designed to strengthen the parts of the federal Farm Bill that support regional and local farms and food systems by addressing needs such as production, distribution, aggregation, and marketing. By securing funds, this legislation will support family farms and local agriculture that enables secure regional food systems. For more information on this Act, go here.

We may not realize it, but we are all part of the food system. Anyone who eats participates! The food system consists of growing, harvesting, transporting, processing, preparing, and eating food. We not only vote with our voices and ballots, but we can also vote with our forks! What you eat does matter in how strong our economy and our communities are, locally, regionally, and nationally. Right now your voice is needed in the keeping the Farm Bill fair and moving in a direction that supports our communities!

Dallas SHOVEL is a group that promotes a sustainable food system for the North Texas area. SHOVEL is an acronym that stands for Secure, Healthy, Open, Vibrant, Equitable, and Local. It is our vision of an ideal food system. We are working through education and advocacy to make this a reality. Join the SHOVEL community here on EatGreenDFW.