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Washington, DC -- Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. underscored provisions in the Farm Bill that promote good nutrition as he announced his strong support for the bill’s passage. Known as “The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008”, the Farm Bill is good for Wisconsin farm families and increases the availability and accessibility of healthy food choices.
“The new Farm Bill is great for Wisconsin agriculture, our health and our economy,” said Kagen. “As a physician, I am pleased that it begins to move our diets away from carbohydrates and towards healthier choices such as fruits and vegetables.”
The bill will also ease the strain of rising food and energy prices by creating a new tax credit to promote the production of cellulosic biofuels.
Congressman Kagen is the only member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation on the House Agriculture Committee.
“I am working hard to protect Wisconsin’s farms and dairy industry. This Farm Bill is the most important piece of action we will take to guarantee the ongoing vitality of our family farms,” said Kagen.
Congressman Kagen fought for the following provisions that are included in the Farm Bill:
- Changes to existing law to allow schools to include locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for lunches (Included in Sec. 4302)
- A grant program targeted at developing and testing solutions to the rising rates of obesity in the nation (Included in Sec. 4141)
- Increasing the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC) to a 45% payment rate (Included in Sec. 1506)
- The New Markets for Interstate Meat program which allows small meat producers to be able to ship their product across the state lines, provided they have met state levels of inspection. (Included in Sec. 10106)
- A certification process for organic food (Included in Sec. 10301)
- A pilot program to distribute grants for making farms energy independent using existing technologies (Included in Sec. 7207)
- A measure that supports local agribusiness and agritourism by making farmers markets more accessible (Included in Sec. 10106)
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