WASHINGTON, D.C. — Larry Matlack, president of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM), commended recent actions by the House Committee on Agriculture for including a Biomass Energy Reserve (BER) in the recently passed 2007 Farm Bill.

“We commend Congressman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, as well as his colleagues and staff at the committee for their leadership, initiative and hard work on the passage of a new and better farm bill,” said Matlack. “While we feel the farm bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month comes up a little short of restoring parity for America’s farm and ranch families, we also believe it moves farm programs in a positive direction.”

“The inclusion of a BER is a critical first step in helping farmers shift to new alternative crops which will help America move towards energy independence,” he added.“By including incentives in the next farm program to produce and harvest biomass crops, farmers can help provide local, home-grown, renewable energy for industrial heat, electric cogeneration and cellulosic ethanol.”

“But we are extremely concerned that a standing disaster program was not included in the House-passed farm bill,” warned Matlack. “We sincerely hope and strongly urge the U.S. Senate to include a standing disaster program in their farm bill. Farm and ranch families cannot depend on privatized crop insurance for all of their disaster safety net. Nor does anyone wish to depend on politically charged ad hoc disaster bills. It took almost two years for Congress to act to address the needs of disaster-stricken victims of hurricane Katrina.  We must have a better plan.”

Matlack explained the AAM supports many other provisions of the House-passed farm bill, including:

•extension for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP),
•extension and expansion of the bill’s energy title,
•improvements to most conservation programs,
•approval of interstate shipment of state-inspected meat,
•improved legal rights for contract livestock producers,
•mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for most food,
•provisions to allow school lunch programs to buy locally produced foods,
•expanded, mandatory spending for the McGovern-Dole International Child Nutrition Program,
•additional resources for many other nutrition programs, and
•responsible use of Pay-Go rules for funding to assist in containing the debt.

“AAM also calls upon the Senate to include in its farm bill S. 1403, the Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act, introduced by Senators Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.),” concluded Matlack.

This program, similar to Chairman Peterson’s BER, will encourage farmers to grow dedicated energy crops on marginal land.
These crops have the potential to provide our country with industrial heat, electric cogeneration and cellulosic ethanol.”

Larry Matlack, president
American Agriculture Movement