Farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade and marketing, conservation, and rural development are among the list of policies and programs encompassed by the federal Farm Bill.

Congress is expected to enact a new Farm Bill in 2007 which will have profound impacts on the Northeast -- our food, farms, communities, and people. Historically, the Northeast has been underserved by federal farm policy. NESAWG is working with its members and partners for a new Farm Bill that is equitable and more responsive to the unique characteristics of our region.

This page contains resources for education and action on federal food and farm policy issues. Like the Farm Bill itself, it is a work in progress. Please check back from time to time to see what’s new.

About regionalism and the Northeast:
- A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda (full document) - Northeast Ag Works! Project
- A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda (one-page summary) - Northeast Ag Works! Project
- Regionalist Approaches to Farm and Food System Policy: A Focus on the Northeast - Northeast Ag Works! Project
- Are We Being Served? A Regional Framework for U.S. Farm and Food Policy - Northeast Ag Works! Project
- Are We Being Served? A Policy Checklist - Northeast Ag Works! Project
- Northeast Farms to Food 2006 Update; A Focus on the Farm Bill - NESAWG
- Repositioning Northeastern Agriculture – New Jersey Department of Agriculture

2007 Farm Bill policy recommendations from advocacy organizations:
- Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy - Farm and Food Policy Project
- No Time for Delay (executive summary) - Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group/Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- Farm and Food Policy for All - American Farmland Trust
- Fairness in the Field – Oxfam America
- 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations - Organics Committee, National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
- Ways to improve America’s farm and food policies – Environmental Defense
- Farm Bill Principles – National Association of Conservation Districts
- 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations – National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
- Putting Food into Farming: How to Fix the Farm Bill - Bread for the World
- 21st Century Rural America: New Horizons for U.S. Agriculture – Farm Credit Council
- The 2007 Farm Bill: U.S. Producer Preferences for Agricultural, Food, and Public Policy – The Farm Foundation
- Summary of Farmer Comments from Farm Bill Listening Sessions - National Farmers Union
- Farm Bill Policy Statement – National Family Farm Coalition

Government resources
- Farm Bill online comment form
- Audio Transcripts from Regional Hearings
- USDA Farm Bill theme papers

Farm Bill primers and background reading:
- Previewing a 2007 Farm Bill (An excellent in depth – 55 page - overview by the Congressional Research Service, January 2006)
- The “Farm Bill” in Brief (A 4-page summary of the Farm Bill titles by Congressional Research Service, March 2006)
- 2007 Farm Bill Food Stamp Reauthorization info - Food Research and Action Center
- The 2007 Farm Bill in Context (A useful, short – 12 page - sum-up of Farm Bill issues by the Southern Legislative Conference - June 2006)
- Farm Bill: From A to Z (an online glossary of Farm Bill terms and their meanings by the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service)
- The Non-Wonk Guide to Understanding Federal Commodity Payments (A helpful 30-page guide to the complex world of commodity payments by Rural Advancement Foundation International, 2005)
- Farmbillprimer.org (A privately maintained blog of all things Farm Bill with some very interesting graphics showing Farm Bill expenditure)
- Farm Commodity Programs: A Short Primer ( A 6-page report from the Congressional Research Service, February 2005)