While a disused railroad might not sound like the dream location for a public garden, the High Line has proven that gardens can exist anywhere and in any form. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, the High Line is a feat of garden-making, transforming a once deserted brownfield site into a lush, urban oasis. As the images here show, green arteries now glide 30 feet above the New York City streets.
The High Line is undeniably one of the most important public gardens of modern times, transforming how we think about public spaces and gardens. It is today one of the best-known examples of reclaiming old, disused land and welcoming diverse plant life back into the urban center. Where once there was decay and ruin, now there is a garden.
Originally designed by Piet Oudolf, Dutch garden designer and leading figure in the New Perennial Movement, the High Line remains a masterclass in how gardeners can overcome urban challenges. I spoke to Richard Hayden, the High Line’s Senior Director of Horticulture, whose team tends to the 2.3km long public park to celebrate this momentous anniversary. Here, I share some of the lessons his team has learned in using resilient, diverse and native planting in a city.
(Image credit: Courtesy of the High Line – Photography by Timothy Schenk)
3 lessons in urban gardening from the High Line
The High Line has changed how we think about public gardens and urban spaces. Urban gardeners can learn so much from this internationally renowned project, not least about the importance of maximizing greenery in any inner city area for the benefit of the community, and for animals and insects seeking shelter and food in busy areas often lacking in biodiversity.
Gardens should provide year-round interest
(Image credit: Courtesy of the High Line – Photography by Liz Ligon)
‘The High Line has changed how we all think about public space and the utility of land in urban centers,’ says Richard Hayden. ‘I think it is one of the most significant public gardens of the 21st century, and it has undoubtedly changed our perceptions of urban gardening.
‘Gardening here doesn’t come without its challenges,’ Richard continues. ‘Our soil depth is about 18 inches, with a few taller planters scattered throughout, and we are limited in terms of space.’
For this reason, each and every plant has to earn its place. All of the trees, shrubs and perennials have to contribute something to the gardens, there can be no shrinking violets or fussy flora here.
‘The High Line is a garden for every season,’ Richard adds. ‘It has to look just as good in winter as it does in the summer. As Piet Oudolf says, a plant isn’t worth growing unless it looks good dead.’
In urban spaces, or any garden for that matter, thinking about interest beyond just the growing season is crucial. As Richard advises, gardens can and should look good at all times of year, whether in the heights of summer or the depths of winter.
‘We have many plants that really come into their own in both the fall and winter,’ Richard says. ‘We think of faded blooms as seed skeletons, adding interest later in the year. For example, Culver’s root, Veronicastrum virginicum, is an incredible magnet for the 33 different species of bees who visit us at the High Line during the summer, but in winter, the seedheads turn a wonderful deep black.
‘Autumn moor grass, Sesleria autumnalis, is another one to mention,’ Richard adds. ‘This is possibly the most numerous plant we grow on the High Line. It is a resilient understory plant that adds great texture in all seasons.’
Plants like Culver’s root and autumn moor grass are important for bringing in that year-round interest. Gardens are not just for spring and summer, and thinking about fall and winter color and texture is crucial, particularly in smaller yards. For example, incorporating one or two native dogwoods will provide spring blooms, summer foliage and fall color, maintaining interest during different seasons.
Gardens of the High Line
Richard suggests two natives for producing showstopping flowers. ‘The butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, is an incredibly resilient self-seeding plant. Growing throughout the Western Rail Yards section of the High Line, this North American native is a huge draw for monarch butterflies with nectar-rich orange flowers.
‘Thread-leaf bluestar is another favorite,’ Richard continues. ‘This odd little North American native from Arkansas can grow happily on flood plains and tolerate drought. It is a plant for all weathers.’ These delicate blue blooms can be seen in the image above.
I have grown thread-leaf bluestar, or Amsonia hubrechtii, when working as a gardener in the UK, and the blue star-like flowers of this ornamental plant are spectacular in the spring, followed by superb color in the fall, when once green leaves turn different shades of yellow and umber.
‘Using tough, native plants – like the thread-leaf bluestar – is essential for gardeners. What we are experiencing, it is not so much climate change as climate chaos,’ Richard explains, ‘with wild temperature fluctuations and drought becoming a real challenge for gardeners.’
Gardens should be emotional and engaging spaces
(Image credit: Courtesy of the High Line – Photography by Andrew Frasz)
‘While the High Line is a busy public garden, annually welcoming over 8.5 million visitors, it is designed to be a restful, considered, emotionally evocative space,’ Richard says.
As a gardener myself, I think any outside space – big or small, public or private – can be an emotional, engaging experience. Gardens should offer serenity and calm, encouraging stillness and reflection. All green spaces can do this, and maximizing greenery in our lives and welcoming in the natural world, whether on a small balcony or in an expansive backyard, can only be a good thing.
‘Naturalistic gardens aren’t a fad,’ Richard says. ‘These plants, our gardens, they speak to something in all of us. We have all experienced nature, and it brings back memories and feelings.
‘With the planting now very established across the High Line, it feels like the gardens have always been there. It is great to see joggers and commuters using the space early in the morning, or finding visitors resting on a bench, taking a minute to pause and reflect during their busy day. For a moment, you forget that you are in the bustling heart of New York City.’
Butterfly Milkweed Plants
High Line: the Inside Story
Amsonia Blue Star Plant
While the High Line is one of the most renowned public gardens worldwide, we can all learn a thing or two from the clever and sensitive approach to planting and growing resilient species. For more information on resilient perennials and shrubs, see our guide on ditch plants, for tough and almost indestructible plants that can handle the heat, frost and rain.
Source: homesandgardens.com
Earliest evidence of plant farming in East Africa
Ancient plant remains found in Kenya help explain the history of plant farming in East Africa.
Around the world, the development of agriculture marked a massive leap in the social and cultural development of humanity.
Eastern Africa is a region long thought to have been important in the development of early farming.
“There are many narratives about how agriculture began in east Africa, but there’s not a lot of direct evidence of the plants themselves,” says Natalie Mueller, an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis and co-first author of a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
New evidence found during an excavation at the Kakapel Rockshelter in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya changes that.
“We found a huge assemblage of plants, including a lot of crop remains,” Mueller says. “The past shows a rich history of diverse and flexible farming systems in the region, in opposition to modern stereotypes about Africa.”
The site has been a Kenyan national monument since 2004. It includes rock art and other archaeological artefacts reflecting more than 9,000 years of human occupation.
Mueller’s team performed radiocarbon dating on the plant samples, finding remnants of cowpea dated to 2,300 years ago. This is the oldest crop found in eastern Africa. It dates to a time when local people also began to use domestic cattle.
They also found evidence that sorghum (an ancient grain) arrived in East Africa from the northeast about 1,000 years ago.
Another crop took the researchers by surprise. Mueller’s team uncovered a burnt, but perfectly intact field pea. Peas were not previously considered part of early agriculture in the region.
“To our knowledge, this is the only evidence of peas in Iron Age eastern Africa,” Mueller says.
“The standard peas that we eat in North America were domesticated in the near east,” Mueller says. “They were grown in Egypt and probably ended up in east Africa by travelling down the Nile through Sudan, which is also likely how sorghum ended up in east Africa. But there is another kind of pea that was domesticated independently in Ethiopia called the Abyssinian pea, and our sample could be either one.”
Emmanuel Ndiema is from the National Museums of Kenya, a project partner on the research.
“Our findings at Kakapel reveal the earliest evidence of domesticated crops in east Africa, reflecting the dynamic interactions between local herders and incoming Bantu-speaking farmers,” Ndiema says.
“Our work shows that African farming was constantly changing as people migrated, adopted new crops and abandoned others at a local level,” Mueller explains. “Prior to European colonialism, community-scale flexibility and decision-making was critical for food security – and it still is in many places.”
“This is where human evolution occurred. This is where hunting and gathering was invented by people,” Mueller says. “But there has been no archaeological evidence about which plants hunter-gatherers were eating from this region. If we can get that kind of information from this assemblage, then that is a great contribution.”
Source: cosmosmagazine.com
North vegetable garden offers food security and empowerment
The Life-Changing Project (TLCP), a non-profit organisation from Akasia in the north of Pretoria dedicated to empowering vulnerable populations, has launched a transformative vegetable garden initiative.
The organisation’s mission focuses on overcoming poverty, inequality, and social injustice by providing comprehensive support services to homeless individuals, children, and families.
According to Founder Tebogo Sehlwane, the vegetable garden project exemplifies the organisation’s mission to address food insecurity and promote community engagement through sustainable gardening.
“The idea of the winter vegetable garden emerged from the combination of community needs and resource availability.
The staff and volunteers identified that many families struggled to access fresh produce.
With a previously unused plot of land and interest in gardening from community members, the project was born,” said Sehlwane.
Sehlwane said that local nurseries and gardening supply stores also offered to donate seeds, tools, and expertise, making the initiative feasible.
“Beneficiaries of the project were selected through a thorough needs assessment, targeting those who struggle with food insecurity, have limited income or belong to vulnerable groups.
We conduct community outreach through social media, flyers and partner organisations,” he said.
To ensure success, TLCP provides comprehensive resources and support, including seeds, gardening tools, soil, irrigation systems and regular training sessions on gardening techniques.
Sehlwane said experienced gardeners offer one-on-one mentorship and community groups are encouraged to share knowledge and resources.
Maria Mbunda, a single mother, now harvests fresh produce for her family, significantly reducing their reliance on food assistance.
A diabetic John Chauke has seen improved health due to the nutritious produce from his garden.
The project has also promoted environmental awareness, with beneficiaries adopting sustainable gardening practices such as composting and water conservation.
“TLCP plans to expand and replicate the initiative to other areas and seasons.
Community-led expansion and partnerships with local organisations will further enhance the initiative’s impact,” said Sehlwane.
He said the organisation wants to incorporate innovative technologies like hydroponics and vertical farming, advocate for supportive policies and conduct research to improve gardening techniques.
“An alumni network will help past beneficiaries stay connected and share experiences.
The vegetable garden initiative is fostering a sustainable supportive ecosystem, enabling marginalised populations to break the cycle of poverty and thrive,” he said.
ALSO READ: Take an entertainment trip around Pretoria this weekend
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Source: citizen.co.za
How To: Starting a Vegetable Garden –
Location, Location, Location:
The first step to a successful garden is choosing the perfect spot. Most vegetables require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Look for a level area with good drainage – soggy soil can lead to unhappy plants. Avoid areas with overhanging trees or buildings that might cast shade throughout most of the day.
Know Your Climate:
Before selecting your vegetables, consider your local climate and growing season. Research which vegetables thrive in your specific zone. Many seed packets and plant labels will also indicate ideal planting times and how long the growing season is for that particular vegetable. This will help you choose varieties that will mature successfully in your climate. For example, if you have a short growing season, opting for fast-maturing vegetables like lettuce, radishes, or bush beans would be a better choice compared to slower-growing vegetables like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
Soil Matters:
Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden. Ideally, your soil should be loose and fertile, draining well to prevent root rot. If your soil is compacted clay, you can amend it with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and aeration. A simple soil test can also be helpful to determine if your soil needs additional nutrients. Adding compost not only improves drainage but also provides essential nutrients for your plants. You can make your compost pile at home using kitchen scraps and yard waste, or purchase compost from your local garden center.
Planting Power:
There are two main ways to get your vegetable garden started: planting seeds directly in the soil or using transplants (young plants started indoors). Seeds are generally more cost-effective, but transplants can be a good option for vegetables with longer growing seasons or those that require specific germination conditions. For example, warm-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers often benefit from being started indoors a few weeks before the last frost date in your area. This gives them a head start on the growing season and allows them to produce more fruit before the cooler fall temperatures arrive. Refer to seed packet instructions for planting depth and spacing requirements.
TLC for Your Tiny Plants:
Once your seeds are sown or transplants are in the ground, proper care is essential. Water your plants regularly, especially during hot and dry periods. Aim to provide deep watering that soaks the soil thoroughly, rather than frequent shallow watering. Shallow watering only wets the top layer of soil and encourages roots to grow shallowly, making them more susceptible to drying out in hot weather. As your plants grow, you may need to add support stakes for taller varieties like tomatoes or peppers. Weeding is also an important part of plant care. Weeds compete with your vegetables for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Regular weeding will help your plants thrive.
Harvesting the Rewards:
The most exciting part of vegetable gardening is harvesting your homegrown produce! Pick vegetables when they are ripe and at their peak flavor. Most seed packets or plant labels will guide when to harvest specific vegetables. For example, tomatoes should be picked when they are plump and have a vibrant red color. Peas are ready to harvest when the pods are plump and the peas inside are well-developed but still tender. Enjoy your fresh harvest in salads, and stir-fries, or simply savor them on their own!
Gardening can be a wonderful learning experience. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks – sometimes unexpected things happen, like a surprise infestation of pests or a bout of unexpected heavy rain. Use these experiences to adapt and improve your gardening techniques next season. With a little dedication and these basic steps, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying the bounty of your flourishing vegetable garden. Remember, gardening is a journey, and there’s always something new to learn along the way. So have fun, get your hands dirty, and enjoy the satisfaction of cultivating your own delicious and healthy food!
About Author
Source: bladenonline.com
Jamestown Garden Tour features flowers, vegetables and more
JAMESTOWN – Flower and vegetable gardens are featured on the 34th Jamestown Garden Tour on Wednesday, July 10.
The garden tour highlighting four yards runs from 4 to 8 p.m. and is sponsored by the Jamestown Branch of the American Association of University Women.
“I am pretty excited this year because of the variety of and great ideas that participants will get going through the gardens,” said Connie Lillejord, AAUW co-coordinator with Erin Klein on the event.
“We look every year for big and small gardens, something that when people come on the tour, there’s something for everyone,” Lillejord said. This year, she noted there are many flowers plus vegetables and garden art.
Proceeds from the tour support the AAUW Educational Foundation and the AAUW Scholarship Endowment at the University of Jamestown.
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Jack and Yvonne McGregor
Jack McGregor said when he and his wife, Yvonne, were younger, gardening was a way for them to feed their family of four. But tending to a garden became a burden with their full-time jobs and they scaled back.
Now, four years into retirement, gardening is anything but a burden.
“We love the work and we love the food that comes out of it,” McGregor said. “My primary interest in the garden is food and Yvonne actually is kind of more focused on the flowers and the arrangements and things like that.”
McGregor said wind mitigation is “really important” where they live.
“We live out on the tundra,” he said. “Everything to the west of us and north is wide open farmland. So for us to grow a garden, we have to control the wind. Our whole yard is based on that.”
While he said visitors won’t see much in the front yard, the protected back area is another story. That’s where the McGregors’ gardens and greenhouse are located.
“We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 raised bed areas,” McGregor said. “Because we don’t like bending over to weed. … You will see a lot of raised bed gardens with vegetables intermingled with the ornamental gardens with flowers and plants.”
He said they try to be as organic as possible with fertilizing and weed control.
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“We do not have a monoculture yard as far as the vegetation that grows in the stuff we mow and walk on,” he said. “There’s dandelions, there’s weeds, there’s just a whole bunch of stuff. And I really think that’s good. We do mow it because we use our yard. But when you watch the bunnies, they’re foraging on little weeds and plants that grow in the middle of the yard. I’m thinking they leave our flowers alone because of that.”
Roger and Margaret “Peggy” Koenig
Roger Koenig’s interest in planting flowers grew about 12 years ago when a neighbor leveled off a sloped area behind their home to help solve a drainage problem when it rained. That gave him an extra 12 feet of yard, he said.
“And that’s really when things kind of took off … when I started getting more of an interest in planting flowers back here,” he said.
Koenig said he does only flower gardening.
“I told somebody we’re like a sanctuary garden,” he said. “If it comes here it normally doesn’t get turned away. If it wants to grow here, let it grow here. So some of it’s kind of wild in some ways. But we also have certain parts of the garden that are specifically for certain plants.”
He said there are a lot of perennials including daylilies, salvias, speedwells, daisies and rudbeckia.
Koenig also enjoys annual flowers, planting 44 pots with them this year.
“We have a lot of garden art that we’ve accumulated over the years,” he added. “Mainly it’s come from our son and daughter.”
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John M. Steiner / The Jamestown Sun
Those on the garden tour will find artist Rosemary Gasal in the Koenigs’ yard.
“She agreed to come and be kind of an artist in residence and do painting in the backyard while the tour is going on,” Koenig said.
Michelle, the Koenigs’ daughter, lives in Colorado Springs and her yard was on the garden tour there two years ago, Roger said. That tour provided artists at each location and Koenig liked the idea of doing that here.
Michelle also has packaged small bags with rudbeckia seed that will be given away free on Wednesday to garden tour visitors who would like to plant them, her father said.
Wanda and Dave Bohl
Dave Bohl said when he and his wife, Wanda, purchased their present home more than 20 years ago, Canada thistle, wormwood and trees filled the backyard.
The couple have worked to make their yard a place to enjoy, so much so that a granddaughter was married there last year.
The Bohls have planted trees, done landscaping with rocks and timbers, added water features and flower and vegetable gardens.
Wanda picks the plants and trees.
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“I’m from the South originally so I like deciduous trees, trees that change colors in the fall,” Wanda said. “The trees that are deciduous are mostly the ones that I have picked out over the years and started growing because I like them.”
Those include river birch, aspen and many amur maple trees.
“We did plant a red maple from a seed that fell from the tree that is in our deck,” she said. “The tree was barely a little over the top of the deck and now it is way over the house. But it’s multi-trunk and the perfect shade for the deck.”
Wanda said Dave decided to make a water feature out of a fish sculpture made by their son, Brad. Brad and Corey’s business is Bohl Iron Works.
“We have another water whiskey barrel water feature next to the deck,” she added.
John M. Steiner / The Jamestown Sun
Dave likes grasses, Wanda said, so a lot of reed grasses have been incorporated into the landscape.
“It’s very relaxing back there,” Dave said of the yard.
Arlie and Lynette Lind
Arlie and Lynette Lind have flowers in their yard but spend most of their time in their vegetable garden.
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“We concentrate a lot more on our vegetable garden,” Lynette said.
Arlie says the vegetable garden takes up most of the space but flowers are “interspersed around the landscape,” some of which are in carts he made that can be moved around their yard. Other yard art that Arlie created includes potting benches, tables and chairs.
Arlie said they save seed and plant it every year for their large zinnia bed. The perennials they have came from other people’s gardens, Lynette said.
Lynette said the flowers they have are there more for other people.
“… It’s just kind of a thing to do to add a little beauty to the yard because we know that people can see them from the (Anton Klaus) park,” Lynette said. “And we basically plant flowers just for people’s enjoyment to drive down here and look at the flowers. But Arlie and I concentrate on our vegetables and garlic and onions and that kind of thing. That’s where our main focus is.”
The Linds’ favorite vegetables to grow are cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, garlic and onion, she said. They also have herb and lettuce raised beds on their deck off of the kitchen.
“It’s very convenient for the kitchen and very handy,” she said. “It seems to do better that way for us.”
John M. Steiner / The Jamestown Sun
Arlie said they have a “prolific” grapevine and about 65 feet of raspberry canes.
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“We make a lot of jelly off of them,” he said.
Lynette says they grow and preserve a lot of vegetables.
“We grow about double of what we need because I like to give it away to friends and family. It’s just fun to do that,” she said. “Some people don’t have gardens and I just like to share so we grow a lot more than what we actually need just because we like to make gifts of it to people.”
———————————————
What: Jamestown Garden Tour, sponsored by the Jamestown Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW)
When: 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17; refreshments at The Arts Center, 115 2nd St. NW, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Tickets: $10 advance, $12 day of tour; available in advance and until 3 p.m. July 17 at The Arts Center, Country Gardens Floral, Comfort, AAUW Used Bookstore, Melted Crayon, Dakota Store, Lloyds Toyota or AAUW members. After 3 p.m. on tour day, tickets can be purchased at The Arts Center and AAUW Used Bookstore. During tour hours, tickets are available at each location
————————-——
Jamestown Garden Tour locations
Dave and Wanda Bohl, 1310 41st St. NW
Jack and Yvonne McGregor, 8055 36th St. SE (north side of interstate)
Arlie and Lynette Lind, 424 7th St. SW
Roger and Margaret “Peggy” Koenig, 317 17th Ave. NE
Source: jamestownsun.com
The Most Expensive Farm Bill Ever Is Stalled, Holding Back Important Funds Aimed at Combating the Climate Crisis – Inside Climate News
In an often-contentious hearing on Wednesday, members of the House Committee on Agriculture fired shots at each other over the Biden administration’s attempts to regulate farm pollution.
But the hearing on environmental regulations covering agriculture also exposed the wide, if predictable, fault lines that have developed between Democrats and Republicans over the farm bill, the massive piece of legislation that governs the country’s nutrition and agricultural policy.
In his opening comments, the committee’s ranking member, David Scott (D-Ga.), slammed Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) for his “stubborn refusal to engage on a bipartisan farm bill,” calling the delay in moving it forward “irresponsible for the American people.”
The dueling parties often struggle to get the sweeping legislation over the finish line. But this year the disputes over the bill, perhaps more than ever, have centered on climate issues. An especially divisive and fraught presidential election year appears to be complicating and stalling the process toward passage.
“It was not written to be used as a serious bill,” Scott said. “It was written to be used as a campaign slogan.”
Explore the latest news about what’s at stake for the climate during this election season.
In May the committee moved its version of the bill—officially called the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024—to the Appropriations Committee after divisive negotiations that persisted for the better part of the year. The last farm bill, passed in 2018, expired in September 2023 and is running on a one-year extension. Congress negotiates a new farm bill every five years.
The farm bill’s role in addressing climate change has grown more prominent in recent years, since it functions as a safety net for American farmers as they face climate-induced weather extremes and consider conservation measures that can help control greenhouse gas emissions. The current law offers incentives to leave land unplanted or to plant crops that help stash carbon in the soil.
Despite its importance, not just in addressing the climate crisis but also for anti-hunger programs, land conservation and the farm economy, few Americans know about the farm bill, one of the biggest pieces of legislation that Congress tackles. A survey released this week by researchers at Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability found that one-third of Americans had never heard of the law and another third don’t know what it covers.
“The farm bill encompasses hundreds of millions of dollars and touches every part of the food system,” Joseph Balagtas, the report’s lead author, said in a press release.
One of the central sticking points during the negotiations this year was over President Joe Biden’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which funnels more than $18 billion toward climate-related agricultural programs. This version of the farm bill would direct the Department of Agriculture’s management of those funds.
Republicans and Democrats ultimately agreed that any unspent funding from the IRA will be incorporated into the permanent baseline of the farm bill going forward—meaning the overall total that Congress authorizes under the bill will be larger, even going past 2031, when the IRA funds expire.
But the Republican-led House version of the bill says those funds can be used on any conservation practices, even those that don’t reduce greenhouse gases, as the IRA requires. Democrats have opposed removing those climate “guardrails.” (Making matters more complicated, critics argue that some of the practices deemed “climate smart” and therefore qualified for IRA funds are not, in fact, good for the climate.)
“The farm bill encompasses hundreds of millions of dollars and touches every part of the food system.”
The larger obstacle centers, as it often does, on the government’s funding of the anti-hunger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps more than 40 million Americans buy groceries. Roughly 80 percent of farm bill spending goes toward SNAP. The current version of the legislation is the costliest ever, at an estimated $1.5 trillion.
The farm bill covers both agricultural and nutrition policy by design. In the 1970s, lawmakers moved the food stamp program, SNAP’s predecessor, under the farm bill to encourage urban lawmakers to support programs that mostly benefited rural farming areas and incentivize lawmakers representing rural areas to support a program that mostly benefited the urban poor.
Democratic and Republican members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry have released “framework” proposals for their versions of a bill, but that committee has not worked out a final version. The Senate Democrats’ framework calls for greenhouse gas reductions through the bill’s conservation programs.
But Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has indicated she won’t move forward unless the panel can produce a bipartisan bill and has said she will not cut SNAP funding that Republicans have said they want to redirect.
With both the House and Senate stalled, many advocacy and farm groups are concerned that hard-won, bipartisan agreements aren’t making it into law.
The House version of the bill and the Senate proposals both call for expanding two major programs popular with farmers—the Conservation Stewardship Program, which pays farmers to adopt certain conservation practices in their operations, and the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays them to stop farming on environmentally sensitive land.
Meanwhile, some farm bill watchers say they’re concerned that IRA funding isn’t being maximized.
“We need to pass a good farm bill as quickly as possible so we can cement the funding well into the future,” said Michael Happ, a policy specialist with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a progressive advocacy group based in Minnesota.
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Happ explained that of the $18 billion from the IRA for practices deemed “climate-smart,” nearly $14 billion has not been spent. That amount would be incorporated into the permanent baseline; if the farm bill gets delayed another year, the $14 billion would be cut by $8 billion.
“We’re not going to solve the climate crisis by 2031,” Happ said, referring to the expiration of the IRA. “We’ll still need that money for climate-smart agriculture.”
While Wednesday’s hearing provided a platform for the panel to voice their concerns over the lack of progress on the farm bill, it also presented an opportunity for Republicans to air their grievances at a hodgepodge of environmental regulations.
Republicans called the hearing to focus on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “action” on agriculture, which they consider an overreach. Thompson accused the Biden administration of waging a “war on agriculture” by imposing an “onslaught of regulations” aimed at curbing agriculture’s impact on the environment and climate.
Among these regulations are moves by the Biden administration to reduce wastewater from livestock operations and protect endangered species from herbicide use.
Thompson noted that he invited EPA Administrator Michael Regan to testify before the committee, but Regan declined.
In a letter responding to Thompson’s most recent invitation, the EPA noted that Regan testified before the committee in December, making him the first EPA administrator to do so since 2016 and one of only five ever.
Britton Burdick, a spokesman for the Democratic minority, said Democrats were not “asked to participate in organizing the hearing nor were we asked to assist in requesting the EPA Administrator to appear before the Committee.”
The four witnesses represented the sugar beet and livestock industries as well as the National Farmers Union and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
Senate and House appropriators this week approved spending bills for the Department of Agriculture that quantified the gulf between the parties. The Republican-led House committee proposal would cut $308 million from the agency’s budget, while the Democratic-led Senate committee version would add $831 million to the budgets of the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration.
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