The Farm Bills that have been enacted over the years have primarily supported large-scale and industrial-scale commodity farms.  Only meager public resources have been invested to support small- and mid-sized family farms and dynamic local food economies.

Work is underway to formulate the 2012 Farm Bill. A package of policy reforms outlined in the Local Farms, Food and Jobs bill was recently introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and is co-sponsored by 63 representatives in the House and 9 in the Senate and endorsed by over 130 groups concerned with strong and diverse local food systems.

http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2012/01/local-food-and-the-farm-bill-small-investments-big-returns/ has a good explanation of this legislation, which as we read it, lines up well with the two domestic projects set underway by Heifer USA.

A word in support of it to our congresspeople would be positive!