By Mike Moen
This week's move by federal lawmakers to advance another temporary government budget also means the Farm Bill, which recently expired, is extended.
Farmer advocates are calming their panic, but said the agricultural sector needs focus and more support. The Farm Bill sets spending levels for agricultural and food assistance programs every five years. The 2018 version expired earlier this fall, and lawmakers are now finalizing a yearlong extension.
Mike Lavender, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said they should not wait the full year to adopt the new bill, noting the 2018 version came with limitations.