Kaine discusses farm bill with local agri-business community

A farm bill pending in the U.S. Senate will affect farm subsidies and federal food stamp eligibility and provide incentives for beginning farmers, but it's what it won't do that is of concern to some area agricultural business entrepreneurs.

Area farmers and agricultural business leaders told U.S. Sen. Timothy M. Kaine on Friday that federal legislation that prohibits legal injunctions against planting or harvesting crops created by manufacturers of genetically modified organisms needs to be overturned.

The locals also asked about failed amendments to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 that would have allowed for labeling of foods made with modified crops.

Kaine talked to several regional business leaders about the bill at an informational meeting held at the Carver Recreation Center in downtown Charlottesville.

The bill was approved by the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 14. The full Senate will vote on several amendments to the bill before taking a final vote, according to committee staff.

Kaine, who does not sit on the committee, said the bill is designed to reduce farm subsidies to large, profitable agricultural businesses and individuals, encourage new farmers, increase land conservation and enhance farmers’ ability to sell crops overseas.

Most important, Kaine said, is that the bill would provide a five-year plan for the program after a series of budget deadlocks that resulted in temporary legislation to keep the agriculture programs funded and running.

“Because Congress has been dysfunctional, the five-year bill that we normally would pass has instead been a patchwork bill that gets a series of updates every six months or so,” Kaine said.

Kaine said the new bill will move the government away from providing direct subsidies to farmers.

“We were paying farmers not to grow stuff,” Kaine said. “It takes about $20 billion in subsidy money out of the budget. We’ll continue subsidies, but to a different degree and in a different way.”

According to the Senate committee staff summaries, the bill also would eliminate subsidies to any farmer with an adjusted gross income of more than $750,000. It also would exclude state lottery winners from receiving food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and restrict eligibility for college students.

Some local growers questioned whether healthy-eating education efforts provided in the bill are adequate.

“Health care starts with health and I’m concerned that some of the products qualifying under the SNAP program are not healthy,” said Michael Clark, of Planet Earth Diversified. The small business is a regular vendor at Charlottesville's City Market and produces a variety of vegetables and products.

The informal panel of agri-business leaders and advocates asked Kaine to support an amendment to the bill that would overturn the injunction-prohibiting legislation passed earlier this year. The legislation prevents judges from ordering a stop to seed planting or plant harvesting in cases where a modified plant may be unhealthy.

They noted that injunctions are needed because genetically modified crops cross-pollinate with regular crops and could endanger organic certification. They also noted that several countries are considering banning imports of modified crops grown in the United States.

Monsanto and other companies have produced insecticide- and pesticide-resistant crops by manipulating plant genes.

In Oregon, a farmer’s wheat field was recently discovered to have genetically modified plants growing, plants that were never approved by the government for human consumption. Those plants had not been planted by a farmer, but by pollination and “opportunity.”

That, growers say, can happen here.

"I planted [regular] crops, and genetically modified crops were planted across the street and those crops and my corn became contaminated,” Clark said.

Clark also noted that the food bill distributes authority over agricultural businesses to a variety of federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His small business falls under a variety of rules and regulations that can result in large, unexpected expenses, not the fault of the business.

“By simply growing food, we are signing up for an unknown amount of costs,” Clark said.

Charlotte Shelton, of Albemarle CiderWorks, agreed.

“There is a tipping point with regulations and costs,” she said. “Good intentions pave the road that leads to you know where.”

Last week Kaine voted against an amendment to the bill that would have allowed states to label foods that have genetically modified content. He said he didn’t want to see 50 sets of regulations on labeling. However, he indicated he would support an amendment to the farm bill that would repeal the legislation limiting injunctions. He also said he believes the Senate will approve the bill.

“I think we’re going to pass it by 70 votes,” he said. “I think this bill is a good bill.”

Kaine is the only member of the area's congressional delegation to come out in favor or opposition to the bill.  

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., has not said whether he will support the bill, staff members said Friday. U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, has not made a statement on a similar bill in the House of Representatives and neither has Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th.