COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Farm Bill appropriates funding for not only agriculture, but also nutrition, conservation and forestry programs.

What You Need To Know

  • Farm Bill legislation is usually passed every five years
  • The last Farm Bill was passed in 2018
  • Each week, Spectrum News 1 anchor Chuck Ringwalt and agriculture expert Andy Vance discuss an aspect of the state's agricultural landscape

“The term Farm Bill is something of a misnomer. The farm portion is really just one small piece," agriculture expert Andy Vance said. "Most of the bill is dealing with nutrition programs like SNAP, Women Infants and Children, school lunches and so on."

A recent Farm Bill analysis from the Senate Committee on Agriculture - GOP projects the total cost of the Farm Bill to exceed $1 trillion, 79% of which is allocated for nutrition programs.

"The big elephant in the room is the November election. Right now, Congress critters are out there trying to thye're jobs secured for the next two to six years. They want to get elected, so they're focused on that They are working on the bill, but that's not their key priority," Vance said.

If you have an idea for the Ag Report, a question for Chuck and Andy or you’d like to send a photo of your farm and the work you do, email charles.ringwalt@charter.com.

Related Stories