$288 billion farm bill would boost funds for Michigan growers - Stabenow pushes funding for fruit, vegetable programs

Created: 10/26/2007 9:13:12 AM
Updated: 10/26/2007 9:14:51 AM

WASHINGTON - The Senate agriculture committee has endorsed a $288 billion farm bill that would increase money for fruit and vegetable research, a boost that's expected to benefit Michigan growers.

The five-year measure now heads to the full Senate. The House already has approved its version. About two-thirds of the Senate farm bill would pay for nutrition programs, such as food stamps and subsidized public school lunches.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, who serves on the committee, pushed for more money for fruit and vegetable programs. The bill includes $3 billion nationwide over the next five years, one-third of which would go to programs that provide fresh fruits and vegetables in public school cafeterias.

She talked to reporters Thursday, praising the fruit and vegetable funding as "excellent farm and food policy for Michigan," and called the increase a "really important reform in the farm bill."

Some Michigan growers welcomed the news. Fruit and vegetable farmers said increased research funding would help them boost profits in the future. Growers receive government subsidies for wheat and other commodities but no money for harvesting fruits and vegetables.

Avalon Farms in Kalamazoo County grows 1,100 acres of soybeans, corn and wheat. But it grew only about two acres of green beans this year.

"We can't take any more of our acreage without losing some of our farm benefits," said Brigette Leach, co-owner of Avalon Farms, which also operates a greenhouse for tomatoes, salad greens and fresh herbs.

Mike Beck, co-owner of Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. Johns, grows asparagus, blueberries, cherries, pumpkins, apples, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and melons on 240 acres. All of his crop is sold at his on-site market.

He called the $3 billion for fruit and vegetable programs "kind of like the salt and pepper on your fries. You don't absolutely need it, but it makes it taste better."

More helpful, he said, would have been an AgJOBS provision, which would have made it easier for U.S. farmers to hire temporary foreign workers.

Stabenow had voted for the AgJOBS provision as part of immigration reform that failed to pass Congress earlier this year. The farmer income limits to receive government payments dropped to $750,000 from $2.5 million.

Contact Mara Lee at malee@ gns.gannett.com.
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