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Rural Matters

News and Economic Developments from the Ground Up

May 2010 Vol. 14 by Sheilah Rogers

From the Center for Rural Affairs/Blog for Rural America

It is true that we are still enacting elements of the 2007-2008 Farm Bill; however, it is time to start working on the 2012 Farm Bill. It is also true that the opportunities to create real change are increasingly revealed and the movements throughout the country that support change have got legs!
The Obama Administration under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack is committed to the Know Your Farmer. Know Your Food Initiative. Here in Mendocino County, we are acting on food localization through a multitude of projects. Several of them were highlighted just last week on May 19th at The Food Summit held in Ukiah. As we learned there, local food production and consumption are key to our economic recovery and to better health for local families. There are challenges, yes, and there are people working on those challenges. It will be important to participate in the framing of the 2012 Farm Bill to get the policies we need to do what we want to do to localize our food system.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has developed talking points to help us with our comments to the House Agriculture Committee. See the click here and submit your comments here just below.
From the Center for Rural Affairs:
Share your Thoughts!
The House Agriculture Committee is accepting written comments through June 14th on the future direction of farm policy and the 2012 farm bill.  You can submit your comments here. Need some talking points? Click here.
Also from the Center for Rural Affairs:
Health Care Reform: What's in It for Small Business?
Center for Rural Affairs |  May 10, 2010
A new report from the Center for Rural Affairs challenges four major myths about the impact of health care reform on small business. The health care reform law exempts most small businesses from the mandate. Moreover, the law establishes a Small Business Tax Credit for providing health insurance for employees. The tax credits, available in tax years 2010 through 2013, provide some immediate relief in making health care more affordable and offer an incentive for small businesses to provide insurance. Read the full article.