Posted February 11, 2014
Christmas tree and organic growers have found helpful provisions in the newly enacted farm bill, which took over two years of debate and negotiations to be approved by Congress, according to a Capital Press article available here.
Christmas tree growers experiencing slow sales and competition from artificial trees sought to establish a program to pay for media marketing and cross-promotional campaigns. While the USDA was set to approve the program, in November 2011, the Heritage Foundation portrayed the fee as the Obama administration’s “tax” on Christmas. As a result, the program was tabled.
“It had nothing to do the Obama administration at all,” said Bryan Ostlund, of the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association. “It blew up in the press like none of us had ever seen before and probably never will again. It was something to behold.”
When the farm bill began moving through Congress, U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), lead the move to include the Christmas tree assessment in the farm bill approved by the House of Representatives. Oregon leads the nation in Christmas tree production with about 6.4 million harvested annually and sales valued at $110 million.
Organic growers have also found relief in the new farm bill in funding for research and funding to enforce organic standards, according to an article by the Oregonian available here. Organic farmers will also find improved crop insurance benefits.
For more information on farm bills and crop insurance, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here and here.
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