UW Extension Bulletin Explores New Farm Bill, Importance to Wyoming Producers

An overview of the new farm bill and its importance to Wyoming is explored in a new bulletin from University of Wyoming Extension.

The U.S. Farm Bill: Overview, and Program Participation and Importance in Wyoming (B-1261) describes the origins of America’s farm and food programs; explains how they affect agricultural producers and food consumers; and highlights the most important policy changes in the 2014 farm bill, says the author, Nicole Ballenger, a professor in the UW Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

The Agricultural Act of 2014 encompasses price and revenue safety nets for growers; conservation of cropland; food assistance for low-income households; rural development programs; support for research and extension at land-grant colleges of agriculture; and more.

Ballenger’s report explores the roles of the farm bill programs in Wyoming, including rates of participation in food assistance and nutrition, farm support and conservation programs -- and compares them with national average participation rates. 

“One key finding is that Wyoming’s shares of USDA conservation and disaster assistance payments are larger than its shares of USDA commodity and farm income support payments,” says Ballenger. “Wyoming may have a particular interest in the future of farm bill programs that support farm and ranch land preservation, conservation practices on working lands, and livestock disaster assistance programs.”

The bulletin can be viewed by going to www.uwyo.edu/uwe, clicking on Publications in the left-hand column and typing B-1261 in the Search Publications field. Hard copies are available from the author. Contact Ballenger at nicoleb@uwyo.edu.