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Agricultural Adjustment Act
After years of low market prices and diminishing quality of life for farmers due to the low prices for commodity goods, Congress officially steps in to inflate the market prices to assist the agricultural community. The program focused not only on production, but conservation as well, encouraging farmers to limit production. The Farm Bill was part of President FDR's New Deal to help pull America out of the Depression. -
Food Stamp Program Initiated
The Food Stamp program was piloted. It assisted in feeding over 20 million Americans over the next four years. -
Food Stamp Program Ended
Due to a recovered post war economy, the Food Stamp program was deemed unnecessary and was discontinued. -
Food Stamp Program Reinstated
President JFK reinstated the Food Stamp Program and made it a permanent federal program. It included some subsidy information for several commodity goods but was largely separate from the Farm Bill itself at this time. -
Food and Agricultural Act
Food Stamp program is included within the structure of the Farm Bill. Increased pricing support for certain commodities and introduced the farmer-owned grain reserve. This Farm Bill also empowered the USDA by putting the ag-extension program at the forefront of research and education. -
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
Sometimes referred to as the "Freedom to Farm" bill, the desired function of this particular Farm Bill revision was to remove government subsidies and direct payment from farmers and revert to a true "free market" system. This would decrease the financial burden on the government and encourage farmer independence...or so was thought at the time. The following years demonstrated falling market prices and government spending was increased to keep farmers in business. -
2014 Farm Bill
Direct payments are eliminated and Congress focused more on insurance (crop and livestock) and Price Loss Coverage. Among other things, it allows for renewable energy research and forestry conservation programs on federal land. The Food Stamp Program continues to take up the vast majority of the pie.
