2008 Farm Bill Resource Center

Video and Slide Shows

• 2008 Farm Bill Slide Shows and Videos by Title and Select Topic (Video's run in RealPlayer)

Farm Bill Comparisons

• USDA Economic Research Service Side-by-Side Comparison of the New Farm Bill with 2002-07 Farm Legislation
   
• Farm Bill Issues: Economic Research Service:  Research and Analysis
   
• Congressional Research Service Comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Agreement with the House and Senate Farm Bills

Radio/Podcasts by Robert Coats, Ph.D.

• Agri Outlook Radio/Podcasts by Robert Coats, Ph.D.

Farm Service Agency

• Important Farm Bill Dates!
• Farm Service Agency Resources
• Arkansas Farm Service Agency
  • Newsletter
• News and Events
• Laws and Regulations
• Producer Information
• Landowners and Conservationists Information
• Lenders and Bankers Information
• Fact Sheets
  • Arkansas Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (Jan 30, 2009) (PDF)
  • Milk Income Loss Contract Program (Dec 19, 2008) (PDF)
  • Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program (DCP) (Dec 19, 2008) (PDF)
  • Stocks-for-Food Initiative (Dec 16, 2008) (PDF)
  • Cultural Resources (Nov 25, 2008) (PDF)
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Wetland Initiatives Fact Sheet (Oct 7, 2008) (PDF)
  • Peanut Marketing Assistance Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments (Oct 6, 2008) (PDF)
  • Farm Loan Information Chart (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
    • Tabla de Información Sobre Préstamos Agrícolas 2008  (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
  • Farm Loan Information Chart (Sep 17, 2008) (PDF)
  • Farm Loans Program Funding (Sep 12, 2008) (PDF)
  • Loans for Socially Disadvantaged Persons (Minorities and Women) (Sep 10, 2008) (PDF)
  • Loans for Socially Disadvantaged Persons (Minorities and Women) (Nov 25, 2008) (PDF)
    • Préstamos para Personas Con Desventajas Sociales (Grupos Minoritarios y Mujeres) (Nov 25, 2008) (PDF)
    • Préstamos para Personas Con Desventajas Sociales (Grupos Minoritarios y Mujeres) (Oct 28, 2008) (PDF)
  • Farm Loans (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
    • Préstamos Agrícolas (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
  • Farm Loans (Sep 10, 2008) (PDF)
  • Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
    • Préstamos para Agricultores y Ganaderos Principiantes (Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers) (Jan 1, 2009) (PDF)
  • Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Aug 22, 2008) (PDF)
  • Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (Aug 19, 2008) (PDF)
  • 2008 Crop Year Buy-in Fee for Disaster Assistance Programs (Jul 16, 2008) (PDF)
  • Shared Appreciation Agreements (Jul 10, 2008) (PDF)
  • Primary and Preservation Loan Servicing for Delinquent FSA Borrowers (Jul 10, 2008) (PDF)
  • Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program (Jun 26, 2008) (PDF)
  • Crop Disaster Program 2005-2007 (Quality Losses) (Jun 19, 2008) (PDF)
  • Conservation Reserve Program - Critical Feed Use (May 27, 2008) (PDF)
  • USDA and North Carolina Expand CREP Program (Apr 30, 2008) (PDF)
  • Elecciones para el Comité del Condado de la FSA (Apr 24, 2008) (PDF)
  • Stocks-for-Food Initiative (Apr 11, 2008) (PDF)
  • County Committee Election (Apr 1, 2008) (PDF)
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Benefits: Water Quality, Soil Productivity and Wildlife Estimates (Mar 25, 2008) (PDF)
    • Beneficios del Programa de Reservas para la Conservación, (CRP): Cálculos Sobre la Calidad del Agua, la Productividad del Suelo y la Vida Silvestre (Nov 10, 2008) (PDF)
  • Dairy Disaster Assistance Payment Program III (Mar 5, 2008) (PDF)
  • Rural Youth Loans (Feb 28, 2008) (PDF)
  • State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Approved Projects II (Feb 21, 2008) (PDF)
  • Programa de Compensación para Pecuarios 2005-2007 (Feb 8, 2008) (PDF)
  • Programa de Indemnización para Ganado y Animales de Granja 2005-2007 (Feb 8, 2008) (PDF)
  • Crop Disaster Program 2005-2007 (Quantity Losses) (Jan 25, 2008) (PDF)
  • Livestock Compensation Program 2005-2007 (Jan 25, 2008) (PDF)
  • Livestock Indemnity Program 2005-2007 (Jan 25, 2008) (PDF)
  • Conservation Reserve Program State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Practice (Jan 19, 2008)  (PDF)
  • State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Approved Projects (Jan 19, 2008) (PDF)

Natural Resources Conservation Services

• Natural Resources Conservation Services Resources
• NRCS: National, Arkansas, Other States
• 2008 NRCS Farm Bill Conservation Programs
• At a Glance: 2008 NRCS Farm Bill Conservation Programs

USDA

• USDA Farm Bill News
• FSA Farm Service Agency News and Events
• USDA 2008 Farm Bill Page
  • February 2, 2009 - USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for February 2009  
  • January 29, 2009 - Secretary Vilsack Announces More Than $6 Million to Train Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
  • January 28, 2009 - USDA and Arkansas Partner on Conservation Program to Benefit Illinois River Watersheds
  • January 28, 2009 - USDA Issues Partial 2008 Crop Counter-Cyclical Payments for Upland Cotton
  • January 26, 2009 - Transcript: Secretary Tom Vilsack Hosts News Conference Call with Reporters
  • January 26, 2009 - Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack Lays Out Priorities, Extends Comment Period For Payment Limitations Rule
  • January 16, 2009 - Interim Final Rule Amends Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
  • January 16, 2009 - USDA Seeks Public Comment on Changes to Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
  • January 15, 2009 - USDA'S Interim Final Rule Amends Environmental Quality Incentives Program  
  • January 15, 2009 - USDA Seeks Comments on Wetlands Reserve Program
  • January 15, 2009 - USDA and EPA Announce Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative
  • January 14, 2009 - Crop Disaster Program Sign-Up Ends February 27
  • January 14, 2009 - Schafer Announces Availability 0f $58.4 Million to Producers, Entities Through New Conservation Program
  • January 13, 2009 - USDA Fields Farm Bill, Prepares Ground for Next Administration
  • January 5, 2009 - CSREES Seeks Stakeholder Input on National Institute of Food and Agriculture Transition - Input will be accepted until February 6, 2009
  • January 2, 2009 - USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for January 2009
  • December 29, 2008 -  USDA National Scholars Program Applications Open for 2009 Academic School Year
    December 19, 2008 - USDA Enacts Changes to Payment Limitations, Income Qualifications, and Implements Direct Attribution Programs
  • December 19, 2008 - Milk Income Loss Contract Program Signup Begins Dec 22
  • December 19, 2008 - Secretary Schafer Announces 2009 DCP Signup
  • December 4, 2008 - Federal Biomass Board Releases Biofuel Feedstocks Report
  • December 4, 2008 - USDA's "Stocks for Food" Program Turns Raw Commodities into Food
  • December 2, 2008 - Remarks by the Hon. Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture Delivered at the Farm Journal Forum
  • December 1, 2008 - USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates for December 2008
  • November 24, 2008 - Statement by Schafer Comments on Farm Financial Forecast
  • November 19, 2008 - USDA Invites Applications For Advanced Biorefinery Guaranteed Loans
  • November 13, 2008 - USDA Provides $77 Million to Repair Farmland Damaged by Flood and Drought
  • November 12, 2008 - Transcript of Remarks by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer at the 2008 Annual Convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting
  • November 12, 2008 - USDA Announces Storage Deficit Areas for the 2008 Crop Cotton Marketing Assistance Loan Program
  • November 7, 2008 - USDA Announces Amended Farm Bill Provisions and New Sign Up Deadline
  • November 1, 2008 - USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation Lending Rates For November 2008
  • October 30, 2008 - USDA Approves Final Regulations for the 2008 Through 2012 Cotton Programs
  • October 8, 2008 - USDA Awards More Than $28 Million in Specialty Crop Research
  • October 7, 2008 - USDA Unveils New Conservation Incentives
  • October 3, 2008 - Study Highlights Benefits of Conservation and Wetlands Reserve Programs
  • October 3, 2008 - USDA to Launch Public Access Incentive for the Conservation Reserve Program
  • October 1, 2008 - USDA Issues $1.8 Billion in Conservation Reserve Program Rental Payments
  • September 9, 2008 - USDA Announces Fiscal Year 2009 Sugar Program
  • September 5, 2008 - FACT SHEET: 2008 Farm Bill Renewable Energy Provisions
  • August 22, 2008 - USDA Agency Releases Comparison of Old and New Farm Legislationn
  • August 20, 2008 - USDA Rural Development to Hold Public Meeting on Farm Bill Renewable Energy Provisions
  • August 6, 2008 - USDA Readies Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Purchases for Elementary Schoolss
  • August 4, 2008 - USDA Awards $500,000 for WIC Special Project Grants to Four States
  • July 31, 2008 - DOE and USDA Announce More than $10 Million in Bioenergy Plant Feedstock Research
  • July 30, 2008 - Secretary Schafer Awards $21.8 Million in Grants to States for The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
  • July 30, 2008 - USDA and Community-and Faith-Based Partners Meet August 6
  • July 30, 2008 - USDA Awards $447.5 Million In Electric Loans Consumers in 20 States Will Benefit
  • July 30, 2008 - USDA Issues Interim Final Rule Amending All Federal Milk Marketing Orders
  • July 29, 2008 - Statement of Secretary Ed Schafer Discusses Conservation Reserve Program Decision
  • July 29, 2008 - USDA Takes Action on Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling
  • July 28, 2008 - USDA Announces 2008-Crop Cotton and Peanuts Marketing Assistance Loan Programs
  • July 28, 2008 - USDA Increases Limits for Direct Operating and Farm Ownership Loans
  • July 15, 2007 - Schafer Announces an Additional $202.5 Million for Two Voluntary Conservation Programs
  • Jul y 11, 2008 - USDA Announces $28.4 Million in Funding for Specialty Crop Research
  • July  11, 2008 - Buy-in Waiver For Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Programs Underway In New Farm Bill
  • July 7, 2008 - USDA Releases CRP Land in Flood Regions for Grazing, Permission Is Granted in Presidential Disaster Counties for Grazing Only
  • July  7, 2008 - USDA Issues Advance Direct Payments
  • July  1, 2008 - Fact Sheet: Midwest Flood Response USDA Actions - Updated July 1, 2008
  • June 27, 2008 - USDA Awards $30 Million to States For Exceptional Administration of the Food Stamp Program
  •  June 25, 2008 - Direct & Counter-Cyclical Payment Signup Underway in New Farm Bill
  • June 23, 2008 - USDA Awards $14 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants
  • June 12, 2008 - USDA Delivers First Action for New 2008 Farm Bill Schafer Announces Crop Loan, LDP Provisions and Loan Rates
  • June 12, 2008 - Joint DOE and USDA Fact Sheet: Gas Prices and Oil Consumption Would Increase Without Biofuels

USA Rice Federationon

• USA Rice Federation Farm Bill Materialss
• 2008 Farm Bill Presentation, 7/08
• 5 States' ACRE Comparison Charts, July 2008
• Summary: Key Provisions of Food, Conservation, & Energy Act of 2008, 6/10/08

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
• 2008 Farm Bill Highlights

House Committee on Agriculture

• House Committee on Agriculture
• H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
  • Complete Legal Language of Conference Reports (Title I - Title XV)
  • Joint Statement of Managers (Title I - Title XV)
  • A one-page fact sheet on the conference agreement (Updated May 13)
• Title-by-Title Fact Sheets for the Conference Report:
  • Title I - Commodity Programs
  • Title II - Conservation
  • Title III - Trade
  • Title IV - Nutrition
  • Title V - Credit
  • Title VI - Rural Development
  • Title VII - Research
  • Title VIII - Forestry
  • Title IX - Energy
  • Title X - Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
  • Title XI - Livestock
  • Title XII - Crop Insurance
  • Title XIII - Commodity Futures
  • Title XIV - Miscellaneous

Delta Farm Press

• Delta Farm Press Legislative Articles

Jim Wiesemeyer

• Farm Bill Summary, By Jim Wiesemeyer
• Jim’s Blog

Congressional Agriculture Leaders Announce Farm Bill Conference Agreement 

Congressional negotiators will announce a final farm bill conference agreement TODAY, May 8, 2008 at 1:30 PM EDT. The bipartisan, bicameral group will discuss the details of the final bill. The event will also be webcast on the House and Senate Agriculture Committee Websites at
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/audio.html or http://agriculture.senate.gov/

Archived May 8, 2008, Farm Bill press conference on conference agreement: (Over 70 minutes in length)

Audio only stream

Video stream

Insurance and Risk
Strategies, newsletters, and decision-making tools to assist farmers with marketing and risk management decisions.

• Art Barnaby at Kansas State University
• Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service SURE Benefit Estimator UPDATED Oct. 2, 2008 (Excel)
• Carl R. Zulauf, Professor, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economic; The Ohio State University

*To read and access our information you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer.  To download this free program select the "Get Acrobat Reader" icon. Once you have Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer, just select the file you wish to read.

Compiled by Robert Coats, Ph.D., Agricultural Policy Analyst
Questions or Comments to rcoats@uaex.edu