Dear Senators Daines and Tester and Representatives Rosendale and Zinke:
As discussions continue on passing the Farm Bill that is in negotiations, we urge you to ensure that strong support for improving and expanding the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) is included in the final legislation. GusNIP is a successful public-private partnership that invests in nutrition incentives and produce prescription programs, which have expanded healthy food options for families and sparked economic opportunities for farmers and communities in our state. GusNIP works by empowering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to stretch their EBT budgets by providing incentive dollars for the purchase of fruits and vegetables. GusNIP increases fruit & vegetable intake and variety, and decreases food insecurity.
In Montana, GusNIP funds the Double SNAP Dollars Program (DSD), which launched in 2015 and now serves 32 Montana communities at 44 participating sites, including ten brick and mortar grocery stores.
Impacts of GusNIP and DSD in Montana include:
- Over 12,000 Montanans have accessed the program
- $1.2 million have been spent with Montana Farmers
- $1.8 million created in economic impact supporting direct market farmers and beginning farmers and ranchers.
There is broad and bipartisan momentum to grow GusNIP in the next Farm Bill. Over 600 farm, food, and health leaders support changes in the Farm Bill, and there are several commonsense pieces of legislation that can be incorporated to help nutrition incentives and produce prescriptions that benefit more farmers and families. As lawmakers continue to negotiate the the Farm Bill, we urge you to co-sponsor the OH SNAP Act, the GusNIP Expansion Act, and the GusNIP Improvement Act.
We, the undersigned, stress the immense impact the next Farm Bill will have on the farmers, ranchers, growers, and producers we work alongside with, support, and serve in our efforts to expand Montana’s food self-reliance– from elevating Montana food production to processing, distribution, access, plus everything in between.
In addition to GusNIP, we encourage continued support of the following programs and priorities through your work advocating for funding and programs in the next Farm Bill and beyond:
- Strengthen Food Security: The Farm Bill dictates the funding for important programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, Double SNAP Dollars, and more. People from all walks of life rely on these programs, including working parents, college students, and seniors. We urge you to support and fund a strong Nutrition title that addresses barriers to accessing programs and maintains adequate levels of food assistance.
- Invest in Soil Health Research: Simply put, soil is where our food comes from, and ensuring that agricultural lands are sustained through good soil health practices is critical for future generations and climate mitigation. Specifically, increase research on soil health & regenerative agriculture practices, develop and support farmer/rancher peer learning networks, direct the United States Department of Agriculture to develop soil health measurement systems to advance research on agriculture climate impacts, and support the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP).
- Increase Support for Farmers Markets: In Montana and around the country, farmers markets are essential operations that provide new market opportunities, and a way for new businesses to get their start while also providing food to their community. Many farmers markets are run on shoe-string budgets by volunteers, and for some markets, accessing federal grants is impossible because of the complex application process and the burdensome match requirements.
Some changes we ask you to support: Improve Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grants to make them simpler and more accessible for applicant organizations of all sizes,define farmers markets as essential infrastructure in the Critical Infrastructure Workers Guidance, and increase mandatory funding for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program to $50 million per year.
- Improve Opportunities for Mid-Scale Farmers and Processors: The Farm Bill needs to shift its focus to the “missing middle” – mid-scale farmers and processors that support regional and local food security to reduce dependence on the global supply chain for critical food inputs. The shorter the supply chain, the more resilient and reliable the food supply is to system shocks from climate-related weather events and public health emergencies. We ask that you support the Local Food and Farms Act of 2023 and the Strengthening Local Processing Act of 2023 and make permanent the Meat & Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, Meat & Poultry Expansion Program, and Food Supply Chain Loan and Guaranteed Loan programs authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- Foster Competition within the Farm Bill: The Farm bill needs to prioritize competitive and fair markets for producers. Fairness for farmers, ranchers, and growers is essential for reliable food security, food supply chain resiliency, and to level the playing field so farmers and ranchers have competitive markets to sell their products. Family farmers and ranchers need competitive and fair markets so they can keep family farms and rural communities thriving for generations to come. Corporate consolidation and control in agriculture is causing harm to producers and consumers alike by undercutting profitability for family farms and poses a significant risk for having resilient and secure food supply chains for American families. We ask that Congress create a Competition title in the Farm Bill to address this. We also urge you to reinstate mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and pork.
Resilient local and regional food systems are both an investment in our shared future and an insurance policy against future risks, particularly those due to climate change. We thank you for your consideration of these important issues and urge you to support family farmers, ranchers, growers, who are the foundation of resilient local and regional food systems.
Sincerely,
(Signatures will be added here)
