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Farmers prepare for another year without a farm bill

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KBIA
Farmers in southeast Missouri are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over flooding in 2011.

For the second straight year, farmers are heading into a new year without a farm bill. The massive package provides government support for farmers and ranchers. Divisions in Congress, including over the nutrition programs that make up the bulk of the spending, have kept it from the president’s desk.Farmers say it’s difficult to plan their crops and make other business decisions without a farm bill. Instead, Iowa State University agricultural economist Chad Hart says farmers must focus on the information they have.

"There’s a lot of uncertainty about the government policy that supports agriculture," Hart says. "But you know as far as making those business decisions on the farm, I would argue the more important things are the things that they do know and can control."

Hart says local prices, futures markets, and a field’s past performance are good influences for short-term decision making. But over the long haul, some of the federal unknowns need to be resolved. Lawmakers say they hope to pass a new five-year farm bill early in January. Until then, farmers are left to wait.

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Amy Mayer is a reporter based in Ames. She covers agriculture and is part of the Harvest Public Media collaboration. Amy worked as an independent producer for many years and also previously had stints as weekend news host and reporter at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts and as a reporter and host/producer of a weekly call-in health show at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Amy’s work has earned awards from SPJ, the Alaska Press Club and the Massachusetts/Rhode Island AP. Her stories have aired on NPR news programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition and on Only A Game, Marketplace and Living on Earth. She produced the 2011 documentary Peace Corps Voices, which aired in over 160 communities across the country and has written for The New York Times, Boston Globe, Real Simple and other print outlets. Amy served on the board of directors of the Association of Independents in Radio from 2008-2015.