2025 fourth_quarter Filing

Supported efforts for bridge payments/economic assistance. Worked on efforts to support introduction and passage of "farm bill 2.0". Worked on ensuring USDA released the $10 billion in economic assistance and $20.8 billion in disaster relief assistance from H.R.10545 (FY25 December 2024 CR). Informed Congressional delegation, White House Office of Public Liaison, and USDA of PFB's 2025 priorities (animal health, dairy, energy, environment/regulatory reform, farm bill (including Prop 12), labor, transportation, and wildlife). Supported compensation programs for animal health diseases impacting livestock and poultry such as HPAI. Advocated for science-based research when making decisions in the MAHA space. Monitored S.98, the Agriculture Innovation Act, which aims to improve USDA data collection and research on conservation practices to better inform farmers about which practices reduce risk and increase profitability, enhance crop yields, and improve soil health. Promoted our recommendations for the State FSA Committee. SUPPORTED THE FOLLOWING BILLS: - H.R. 4708, the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act, which would make competitive grants available for research projects related to the mitigation of the Spotted Lanternfly. - S.581/H.R.295, the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act, which would mandate cost and yield surveying of processors to participate in the NDPSR survey every two years. - S.741/H.R.1613, the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act, which would require a USDA study on providing crop insurance for mushroom farmers. - S.1073/H.R.2117, the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act, which would help our next generation of farmers by aligning the definition of Beginning Farmers to match that of other USDA programs - 10 crop years or less instead of the status quo of 5 crop years or less. - S.156/H.R.575, the Increased TSP Access Act, which would help streamline the technical service provider (TSP) certification at NRCS and leverage the programs and technical expertise of NRCS to make conservation programs available to more farmers and on more land. - S.29 / H.R.139, the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight savings time permanent. - S.469/H.R.1131, the Farmers First Act, which would reauthorize and increase funding for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) to $15 million annually for five years. - S.420/H.R.985, the Dairy Business Innovation Act, which would increase the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII) program's funding from the current $20 million to $36 million. - H.R.4782, the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act, which would allow states, through USDA, to establish cooperative agreements connecting local farmers and producers with local food distribution organizations. ' - S.1693/H.R.3283, the Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience (FARMER) Act, which would strengthen the agricultural safety net by increasing premium support for higher levels of crop insurance coverage, making it more affordable, and by allowing farmers to participate in both enhanced crop insurance and other commodity programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC).