National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

RE: FY08 Agriculture Appropriations

September 14, 2007

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
United States House of Representatives
2262 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro,

We write to thank you for your support earlier this summer for improved appropriation levels for two programs crucial to the development of sustainable agriculture in the Northeast. The House of Representatives increased the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program from $16.3 million to $18.2 million, and supported just a slight decrease in funding for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program at $2.47 million. The Senate funded SARE at $20 million and ATTRA at $3 million. We urge you to yield to the Senate on funding these two important programs.

Created by the 1985 and 1990 farm bills, SARE has been the flagship research program for sustainable agriculture at USDA since 1988. SARE funds farmer-driven research, education, and extension to develop profitable, environmentally sound farming systems. It consistently wins awards as a model USDA competitive grants program, with strong farmer participation, practical, outcome-oriented research results, a cost-effective regional delivery system, and great customer service and public outreach.

Unlike other farm-related programs, which often shortchange the Northeast, SARE’s regional approach ensures that program funds are divided equally among the four regions. SARE has distributed over $35 million to Northeast states over the past two decades. New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont are among the top ten recipients of SARE funding nationwide, each of them surpassing states such as Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. In fact, New York is at the top of the list, surpassing even California.

On the ground, SARE funding has made possible hundreds of research projects in the Northeast that emphasize innovation and practical results. Recent SARE projects have allowed New York farmers to research reduced-tillage systems and have advanced new approaches to honeybee winter survival in Massachusetts. SARE has also funded work in Connecticut to establish a line of pest-resistant potatoes that are also colorful and appealing to customers, and it has fostered collaboration between NRCS staff and farmers to prevent bell-pepper blight in New Jersey.

Despite SARE’s widespread popularity, demonstrated efficiency of administration, and capacity to serve both individual farmers and region-wide needs, its funding has lagged seriously behind authorized levels, staying level or decreasing since FY03. In this, its 20th year, we urge you to fund SARE at $20 million in the FY 2008 appropriations bill, divided between $15 million for research and education grants, including farmer grants, and $5 million for extension training and professional development. Although this modest increase would equal just one third of SARE’s authorized funding level, it is still a crucial step in the right direction. $20 million will allow SARE to reach significantly more farmers, support projects designed to spur economic growth in rural communities, enhance farmer-to-consumer marketing opportunities, and help bridge the gap in training and research for sustainable and organic farming systems. In short, a $20 million budget for SARE’s 20th birthday will ensure this program continues to administer unique and cost-effective projects on small farms and in our rural communities for another two decades.

Throughout the Northeast, as in the rest of the country, tremendous numbers of people are concerned about funding for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program. The information ATTRA provides to farmers, ranchers, and others practicing sustainable agriculture is crucial to their success as rural entrepreneurs and agricultural innovators. Although funded by both houses at $2.5 million for FY07, ATTRA’s funding was treated as an earmark and cut to $0 in the February 2007 continuing resolution. Though RBS was able to make some carryover funds available, the resulting major staff cuts and reduction on services caused enormous concern. We strongly ask if there is a FY08 continuing resolution, its language states clearly that the funding point of reference for ATTRA is not the funding level in the Feb 2007 CR, but the $2.5 million previously passed by both houses. Without such clarification, the CR could force ATTRA’s immediate closure, resulting in key loss of services at a critical time for farmers planning ahead for their next seasons and crops.

Authorized in the 1985 Farm Bill, ATTRA is a well-regarded, independently evaluated national information service providing farmers with answers to practical questions about sustainable farming practices. ATTRA’s toll-free number offers free technical assistance in English and Spanish for 12 hours daily. Its website (www.attra.ncat.org) also provides more than 230 publications on topics directly related to sustainable agriculture and marketing.

ATTRA’s technical staff includes highly qualified individuals representing a broad spectrum of agricultural disciplines ranging from horticulture, agronomy, and animal science to agricultural economics and marketing. Most staff also have experience in farming, ranching, extension work and/or research.

ATTRA’s services are in great demand, exceeding 38,000 technical requests last year and drawing over 2.6 million unique visitors to its website, with over 673,000 publication downloads. Unfortunately, even before the drastic FY07 cuts, ATTRA had to turn down 3 out of 5 requests for in-person workshops or presentations around the nation. It is a significant loss that ATTRA’s staff are limited in their ability to share their wealth of knowledge and experience, due to a lack of funding.

We are distressed that ATTRA’s funding has remained level at $2.5 million since FY02. We seek funding at $3 million for ATTRA both to restore funding after the severe cuts of FY07 and to respond to the growing and unmet demand for its services. The modest increase of $500,000 will allow ATTRA to address new demands for information. Gulf region and other farmers need increased help with post-disaster enterprise re-planning, and nationwide farmers and ranchers seek information about organic agriculture, farm energy production, and energy conservation. ATTRA cannot offer its superlative services for these or other areas needs without the modest increase we seek.

We respectfully urge you to accept Senate funding levels of $20 million for SARE and $3 million for ATTRA in the FY 2008 agricultural appropriations bill. We hope that if there is a FY07 continuing resolution, you will ensure that it sets as ATTRA’s funding point of reference the $2.5 million passed prior to the cuts in the February, 2007 CR.

Thank you for your consideration of our views.

Sincerely,

Connecticut
Berkshire-Litchfield Environmental Council
City Seed, Inc.
Connecticut Farmland Trust
Conservation Law Foundation – CT
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association – Connecticut (NOFA-CT)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council

Maine
Conservation Law Foundation
Land Management Partners
Maine Grass Farmers Network
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance

Massachusetts
Back to Basics Food Co-op
Berkshire Coop Market
Berkshire-Litchfield Environmental Council
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)
Conservation Law Foundation
Equal Exchange
Equity Trust, Inc.
Farm Aid
Field to Table
Grassroots International
The New England Small Farm Institute
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association – Massachusetts (NOFA-MA)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council
Red Tomato
Regional Farm and Food Network
Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership
Sustainable Worcester

New Hampshire
Conservation Law Foundation
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association – New Hampshire (NOFA-NH)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council

New Jersey
CATA Farmworkers Support Committee
Genesis Farm CSA
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Northeast Organic Farming Association - New Jersey (NOFA-NJ)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council

New York
Agricultural Missions, Inc.
East End Community Organic Farm, Ltd.
Hudson Valley Bounty
Justice and Peace Ministries, Catholic Charities
NY Farms
NY Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association – New York (NOFA-NY)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council
Rochester Roots
Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Stone Barn Farms
Wittenberg Center for Alternative Resources

Pennsylvania
Alliance for a Sustainable Future
Bucks County Foodshed Alliance
Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (Penn Future)
Just Harvest
Maysie's Farm Conservation Center
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
Pennypack Farm Education Center for Sustainable Food Systems
Selene Whole Foods Co-op
True Roots
White Dog Café Foundation

Rhode Island
Conservation Law Foundation
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
Northeast Organic Farming Association – Rhode Island (NOFA-RI)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council
The Rhode Island Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education
Southside Community Land Trust

Vermont
Conservation Law Foundation
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association – Vermont (NOFA-VT)
Northeast Organic Farming Association Interstate Council
Vermont Cheese Council
Vermont Grass Farmers Association
Vermont Land Trust
Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association