The 2007 Farm Bill: Montana Producer Preferences for Agricultural, Food, and Public Policy

Abstract

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 provides the direction for federal agricultural, food, and public policy through September of 2007. The 2002 Act is the most recent in a series of comprehensive farm bills that have authorized federal farm programs. When the 2002 Act expires, new legislation will guide future programs. In the absence of new legislation, federal farm programs could revert to permanent legislation dating from 1949. The presence of permanent legislation helps provide the impetus needed to insure that agriculture, food, and rural policy issues will be addressed by Congress and by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.