Michael Fields Policy Program
Michael Fields’ Policy Program is predicated on the simple belief that people should be empowered to use democratic processes to direct government resources to advance their vision of agriculture in society.
Given MFAI’s mission of nurturing the ecological, social and economic resilience of food and farming systems through education, research, policy, and market development, we advance many policy initiatives to support that vision both at the federal and state levels.
Overview
For many years, we coordinated the national sustainable agriculture movement’s annual grassroots campaign to obtain funding for sustainable agriculture programs. We have worked through many Farm Bills to advocate for the creation of new programs and improvement of existing ones and have worked with agencies to optimally implement those programs. Examples have ranged from local food programs like the Farmers Market Promotion Program, to conservation programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, to payment limits on federal commodity and crop insurance programs.
In Wisconsin, we have successfully advanced numerous programs such as the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program and Farm to School programs, whose legislative passage Michael Fields coordinated and led, and sustainable agriculture research and outreach programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over many years, we have also promoted managed grazing, bioenergy, new markets and opportunities, local food, agricultural innovation, and resources for the next generation of farmers.
Michael Fields also works to build the capacity of the sustainable movement. Numerous advocates working in the sustainable agriculture movement found their first foothold in our policy internships or first jobs in our policy program. Since 1996, we have authored a nationally used Guide to Federal Programs serving sustainable agriculture interests and offer grant-writing workshops to help farmers and ranchers nationwide access federal programs’ resources. MFAI also provides free grants advising to farmers in the Midwest, particularly targeting these services to historically underserved communities.
Michael Fields’ policy work is undertaken collaboratively. For example, we are very active in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and other national partners in federal Farm Bill authorizations and annual appropriations work. At the state level, virtually every initiative that we undertake engages other partners in the enterprise; we are especially known for finding unexpected partnerships.
Federal Policy
2023 Farm Bill
The authorizing legislation that governs the overwhelming majority of federal policy related to farming, agricultural conservation, rural development, research, food, and more is the Farm Bill, which is passed every 4-6 years. Principally through our work as a member of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), Michael Fields Agricultural institute advocates for policies that advance our mission. Examples of policy ideas for which we are advocating in the 2023 Farm Bill include:
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Increasing access to federal programs or farmers and ranchers of color and groups that serve themMFAI recognizes the the long history of racial injustice in U.S. agricultural policy, from subsidies that have disproportionately served white producers to overt discrimination in some federal agencies against people of color - as well as the difficulty many people of color experience in accessing resources of federal programs today. We propose removing matching requirements for program applications, providing more flexible agency office hours, setting aside funding specifically for applicants from groups principally serving peoples that have experienced federal discrimination historically, and placing a priority on applicants of color
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Capital/Loan Access for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmersThe average age of the nation’s farmers is now over 57 years. One reason for the aging farm population is the challenge beginning farmers face when seeking to purchase land from retiring farmers, who depend on its capital for their retirement funds. One solution that MFAI is exploring would provide a federal subsidy for a portion of the purchase price until the beginning farmer is in a position to purchase it, a proposal advanced by a colleague and friend of the Institute’s, Paul Bickford, who served on USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. Bickford died in a farm accident in August, 2022.
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Climate Change provisionsClimate scientists are predicting an ever-narrowing period of opportunity to slow and reverse the effects of global climate change before the planet is forced into a self-reinforcing cycle that would irredeemably jeopardize life. Already, millions of people are being displaced by catastrophic damage due to climate change. Eleven percent of the U.S. greenhouse gas contribution to climate change comes from agriculture. MFAI recognizes the situation as extremely urgent and prioritizes responsible solutions. Michael Fields supports several provisions in the 2023 Farm Bill, including conservation programs that prioritize practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of fossil-fuel inputs, sequester carbon, and encourage farmers to adopt more perennial and grass-based systems, which research shows sequester carbon more reliably than other systems. Small grains, like oats, rye, barley, wheat, triticale, and Kernza©, are crucial to diversifying crop rotations, stabilizing soil, holding water, accessing nutrients from lower in the soil profile, sequestering carbon, and reducing risk for farmers. However, their regional use has dropped significantly; Wisconsin’s farmers plant small grains on a fifth of the acreage that they did fifty years ago. We want to know why and what might motivate greater small grain adoption. Since 2020, MFAI has worked with a graduate researcher from UC-Davis, Lauren Asprooth, to conduct surveys and focus groups across the Upper Midwest to better understand barriers and drivers to greater planting of small grains in this region; project results can be found here. In spring of 2022, as part of a nationwide project on diverse perennial circular agricultural systems, MFAI conducted focus groups around the nation to identify barriers to adoption of perennial systems. Based on these findings we made recommendations suited to implementation in the 2023 Farm Bill. MFA supports the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA), a “marker bill” (i.e., legislation preparatory to the Farm Bill) containing a comprehensive array of policies to support climate-friendly agriculture. MFAI supports the COVER Act marker bill proposed by Representative Casten (IL-6). It is designed to be similar to IA, WI, IL programs that provide a reduced crop insurance premium of $5/acre to farmers who planted a fall cover crop. We recognize that cover crops, though not a sufficient or ubiquitous long term climate strategy, provide the first step for many farmers in row crop agriculture to move to climate-responsible practices. MFAI supports funding the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative program through the Farm Bill at $50 million, as opposed to being funded through discretionary federal dollars at amounts determined annually through the congressional appropriations process. Among its climate proposals, MFAI does not support using federal funds to develop or support carbon markets. Science is currently unable to reliably predict levels of carbon sequestration associated with most practices on individual soils. Further, carbon markets disadvantage smaller farms and those that invested in carbon-sequestering practices prior to establishment of a carbon market. Previous carbon markets have been unsuccessful and are an unreliable solution. We also object to the offsetting of carbon pollution, much of which is released in areas that subject people of color to its impacts.
Measuring Societal Benefits Project
In 2020, MFAI launched a national discussion about the non-farm, or societal, benefits of soil health practices. With the National Center for Appropriate Technology, we convened an interdisciplinary team that chose to begin with the question, “How do different conservation/soil health-building practices reduce the amount and contamination of water leaving farm fields from storms of differing severity and timing?” Under principal authorship respectively of Dr. Dianna Bagnall, with the Soil Health Institute, and consultant Juli Obudzinski, we developed and in March 2022 presented two papers reflecting our discussions, Measuring Societal Benefits of Soil Health: Biophysical Dynamics and Hydrological Ecosystem Services, and Cost Savings for Local Municipalities, Rural Communities, and States.
Annual Appropriations
For over 20 years, MFAI coordinated the annual grassroots campaign to optimize federal funding for the sustainable agriculture movement, through NSAC. In more recent years, we have applied those skills and strategies to two main priorities for conservation:
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Increasing access to federal programs or farmers and ranchers of color and groups that serve themMFAI recognizes the the long history of racial injustice in U.S. agricultural policy, from subsidies that have disproportionately served white producers to overt discrimination in some federal agencies against people of color - as well as the difficulty many people of color experience in accessing resources of federal programs today. We propose removing matching requirements for program applications, providing more flexible agency office hours, setting aside funding specifically for applicants from groups principally serving peoples that have experienced federal discrimination historically, and placing a priority on applicants of color
-
Capital/Loan Access for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmersThe average age of the nation’s farmers is now over 57 years. One reason for the aging farm population is the challenge beginning farmers face when seeking to purchase land from retiring farmers, who depend on its capital for their retirement funds. One solution that MFAI is exploring would provide a federal subsidy for a portion of the purchase price until the beginning farmer is in a position to purchase it, a proposal advanced by a colleague and friend of the Institute’s, Paul Bickford, who served on USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. Bickford died in a farm accident in August, 2022.
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Climate Change provisionsClimate scientists are predicting an ever-narrowing period of opportunity to slow and reverse the effects of global climate change before the planet is forced into a self-reinforcing cycle that would irredeemably jeopardize life. Already, millions of people are being displaced by catastrophic damage due to climate change. Eleven percent of the U.S. greenhouse gas contribution to climate change comes from agriculture. MFAI recognizes the situation as extremely urgent and prioritizes responsible solutions. Michael Fields supports several provisions in the 2023 Farm Bill, including conservation programs that prioritize practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of fossil-fuel inputs, sequester carbon, and encourage farmers to adopt more perennial and grass-based systems, which research shows sequester carbon more reliably than other systems. Small grains, like oats, rye, barley, wheat, triticale, and Kernza©, are crucial to diversifying crop rotations, stabilizing soil, holding water, accessing nutrients from lower in the soil profile, sequestering carbon, and reducing risk for farmers. However, their regional use has dropped significantly; Wisconsin’s farmers plant small grains on a fifth of the acreage that they did fifty years ago. We want to know why and what might motivate greater small grain adoption. Since 2020, MFAI has worked with a graduate researcher from UC-Davis, Lauren Asprooth, to conduct surveys and focus groups across the Upper Midwest to better understand barriers and drivers to greater planting of small grains in this region; project results can be found here. In spring of 2022, as part of a nationwide project on diverse perennial circular agricultural systems, MFAI conducted focus groups around the nation to identify barriers to adoption of perennial systems. Based on these findings we made recommendations suited to implementation in the 2023 Farm Bill. MFA supports the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA), a “marker bill” (i.e., legislation preparatory to the Farm Bill) containing a comprehensive array of policies to support climate-friendly agriculture. MFAI supports the COVER Act marker bill proposed by Representative Casten (IL-6). It is designed to be similar to IA, WI, IL programs that provide a reduced crop insurance premium of $5/acre to farmers who planted a fall cover crop. We recognize that cover crops, though not a sufficient or ubiquitous long term climate strategy, provide the first step for many farmers in row crop agriculture to move to climate-responsible practices. MFAI supports funding the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative program through the Farm Bill at $50 million, as opposed to being funded through discretionary federal dollars at amounts determined annually through the congressional appropriations process. Among its climate proposals, MFAI does not support using federal funds to develop or support carbon markets. Science is currently unable to reliably predict levels of carbon sequestration associated with most practices on individual soils. Further, carbon markets disadvantage smaller farms and those that invested in carbon-sequestering practices prior to establishment of a carbon market. Previous carbon markets have been unsuccessful and are an unreliable solution. We also object to the offsetting of carbon pollution, much of which is released in areas that subject people of color to its impacts.
State Policy
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Increasing access to federal programs or farmers and ranchers of color and groups that serve themMFAI recognizes the the long history of racial injustice in U.S. agricultural policy, from subsidies that have disproportionately served white producers to overt discrimination in some federal agencies against people of color - as well as the difficulty many people of color experience in accessing resources of federal programs today. We propose removing matching requirements for program applications, providing more flexible agency office hours, setting aside funding specifically for applicants from groups principally serving peoples that have experienced federal discrimination historically, and placing a priority on applicants of color
-
Capital/Loan Access for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmersThe average age of the nation’s farmers is now over 57 years. One reason for the aging farm population is the challenge beginning farmers face when seeking to purchase land from retiring farmers, who depend on its capital for their retirement funds. One solution that MFAI is exploring would provide a federal subsidy for a portion of the purchase price until the beginning farmer is in a position to purchase it, a proposal advanced by a colleague and friend of the Institute’s, Paul Bickford, who served on USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. Bickford died in a farm accident in August, 2022.
-
Climate Change provisionsClimate scientists are predicting an ever-narrowing period of opportunity to slow and reverse the effects of global climate change before the planet is forced into a self-reinforcing cycle that would irredeemably jeopardize life. Already, millions of people are being displaced by catastrophic damage due to climate change. Eleven percent of the U.S. greenhouse gas contribution to climate change comes from agriculture. MFAI recognizes the situation as extremely urgent and prioritizes responsible solutions. Michael Fields supports several provisions in the 2023 Farm Bill, including conservation programs that prioritize practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of fossil-fuel inputs, sequester carbon, and encourage farmers to adopt more perennial and grass-based systems, which research shows sequester carbon more reliably than other systems. Small grains, like oats, rye, barley, wheat, triticale, and Kernza©, are crucial to diversifying crop rotations, stabilizing soil, holding water, accessing nutrients from lower in the soil profile, sequestering carbon, and reducing risk for farmers. However, their regional use has dropped significantly; Wisconsin’s farmers plant small grains on a fifth of the acreage that they did fifty years ago. We want to know why and what might motivate greater small grain adoption. Since 2020, MFAI has worked with a graduate researcher from UC-Davis, Lauren Asprooth, to conduct surveys and focus groups across the Upper Midwest to better understand barriers and drivers to greater planting of small grains in this region; project results can be found here. In spring of 2022, as part of a nationwide project on diverse perennial circular agricultural systems, MFAI conducted focus groups around the nation to identify barriers to adoption of perennial systems. Based on these findings we made recommendations suited to implementation in the 2023 Farm Bill. MFA supports the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA), a “marker bill” (i.e., legislation preparatory to the Farm Bill) containing a comprehensive array of policies to support climate-friendly agriculture. MFAI supports the COVER Act marker bill proposed by Representative Casten (IL-6). It is designed to be similar to IA, WI, IL programs that provide a reduced crop insurance premium of $5/acre to farmers who planted a fall cover crop. We recognize that cover crops, though not a sufficient or ubiquitous long term climate strategy, provide the first step for many farmers in row crop agriculture to move to climate-responsible practices. MFAI supports funding the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative program through the Farm Bill at $50 million, as opposed to being funded through discretionary federal dollars at amounts determined annually through the congressional appropriations process. Among its climate proposals, MFAI does not support using federal funds to develop or support carbon markets. Science is currently unable to reliably predict levels of carbon sequestration associated with most practices on individual soils. Further, carbon markets disadvantage smaller farms and those that invested in carbon-sequestering practices prior to establishment of a carbon market. Previous carbon markets have been unsuccessful and are an unreliable solution. We also object to the offsetting of carbon pollution, much of which is released in areas that subject people of color to its impacts.
