The latest extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expired September 30, leaving Congress without a new long-term agriculture policy. The Farm Bill covers farm safety-net programs, conservation, crop insurance, food assistance, and other programs important to rural America. Crop insurance and SNAP benefits will continue, but some conservation, research, rural development, trade, and energy programs face funding uncertainty without congressional action. The more immediate concern is programs whose funding or authority has expired. Some farm programs, including commodity and dairy support measures, are set to expire December 31. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman says farmers should not expect an immediate disruption, noting USDA can take administrative steps to keep programs operating through the end of the year. Meanwhile, bipartisan negotiations are expected to continue during the congressional break. Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman (LAY-man) told We Are Iowa that the biggest casualty of the Farm Bill impasse is the stability farmers rely on.
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