Congressman Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s District 7 has reintroduced a bill that would prevent prime farmland from being enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to leave land uncultivated.
It’s called H.R. 3779, the Guaranteeing Robust Agricultural Independence and Nutrition (GRAIN) for America Act. The GRAIN for America Act would place a 1-year moratorium on the enrollment of farmland in CRP. After the 1-year moratorium, H.R. 3779 would prevent prime farmland from being enrolled in the CRP.
“Food security is national security, and America needs to be taking all necessary steps to shore up our food supply,” Tiffany says. “We can only have a prosperous future if we allow our nation’s farmers to unleash their production potential.”
In 2021, the Biden administration expanded the CRP to achieve net-zero emissions. The CRP is a program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture that offers farmers 10- to 15-year payment contracts for taking some or all of their farmland out of crop cultivation.
Tiffany’s GRAIN for America Act would not impact farmland that is already part of the CRP. Additionally, farmers who already have land in the CRP can re-enroll during the moratorium.
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