In hearing for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Senator Reverend Warnock pushed USDA officials on two issues crucial to Georgia farmers that will come up in this year’s Farm Bill: limited insurance options against natural disasters and trouble with heirs properties being passed down from one generation to the next

Senator Warnock reaffirmed his commitment to fight for the interests of Georgia farmers and families in the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill

Senator Reverend Warnock will play a leading role in crafting the 2023 Farm Bill, the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government

Senator Reverend Warnock: “We want to make sure that our specialty crop growers have the protection they need, and I’m certainly looking forward to trying to limit risk and allow other people to get into that space, so that we create some equity in the process and opportunity for new growers”

ICYMI from WALB: Sen. Warnock announces re-appointment to Senate Agriculture Committee, focuses on Farm Bill update

WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock at hearing for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, pushed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials on two issues crucial to Georgia farmers that will come up in this year’s Farm Bill: limited insurance options against natural disasters and trouble with heirs properties being passed down from one generation to the next. Senator Warnock, who announced last month he was officially re-appointed to the Committee, reaffirmed his commitment to fight for the interests of Georgia farmers and families in the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill as he will play a crucial role in crafting the key legislation, which acts as the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government. Senator Warnock is the only Democrat on the Senate agriculture committee representing a southern state.

In the hearing, Senator Warnock emphasized the important role Georgia fruit and vegetable growers play in America’s food supply chain. Additionally, the Senator highlighted the limited insurance options these growers have against natural disasters, leaving farmers with significant financial uncertainties. Senator Warnock pushed the USDA to provide more affordable and effective options to insuring their crops against natural disasters.

“Fruit and vegetable growers in Georgia and throughout the southeast have limited viable options when it comes to insuring their crops against natural disasters. And Georgia growers are already struggling with market challenges by lower-cost fruits and vegetables imported from other countries. USDA must do all that it can to provide these farmers with more certainty,” pushed Senator Warnock.

Additionally, Senator Warnock reminded the panel and his fellow committee members of the issues surrounding heirs’ property, which is family-owned land that has been passed down informally without a title or legal documentation, much of which is owned by Black families. Senator Warnock pushed the USDA to shore up issues with the Heirs’ Property Relending Program — which was established in the last Farm Bill —to overcome the years of institutionalized discrimination across the agriculture sector. Senator Warnock secured federal investments into programs that resolve land ownership issues stemming from heirs’ property disputes.

“It’s estimated that more than one-third of Southern, Black-owned land is considered to be heirs’ property, property that is family-owned land that has been passed down informally without a title or legal documentation,” said Senator Warnock in the hearing. “We all know the awful and sad history of this. And these issues have not only harmed the ability of these families to build intergenerational wealth for centuries, but also their ability to participate in USDA programs. So the legacy itself of these heirs’ property issues then prevent folks from being able to access the very kinds of things that should be able to give them a leg up. However, USDA still has more work to do to overcome years of institutionalized discrimination across the agriculture sector. For example, there is still no Black-owned Community Development Financial Institution enrolled as an intermediary lender for the program, and it is undersubscribed.”

Senator Warnock has prioritized helping Georgia farmers navigate economic challenges and getting farmers the tools they need to grow and thrive. Senator Warnock fought to secure over $5 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act for farmers in Georgia and across the country, including $3.1 billion for economically-distressed borrowers and $2.2 billion for borrowers who have experienced discrimination by USDA. In October, Senator Warnock announced he already secured over $29 million in funds to help underserved Georgia farmers receive relief for qualifying USDA farm loans. The Senator has worked to elevate the voices of all farmers and producers through a series of moderated conversations with USDA officials. Senator Warnock has pushed the Administration to create more favorable trade conditions and expand market access for Georgia’s agriculture sector in international markets. In September, Senator Warnock secured $300 million to help eliminate barriers to land, capital, and market access for underserved farmers. The Senator has also worked to ease stressors and economic tensions for farmers, including securing $10 million in funding for USDA’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) in the most recent spending bill, which helps to better connect farmers to farm stress resources.

See below for highlights of the Senator’s questioning to witnesses in the hearing:

Senator Warnock: “Thank you so very much, Madam Chair, and thanks to all our witnesses who are here. Georgia is known as The Peach State. And while we are very proud of the peaches we produce, we produce and are a leading producer of many other specialty crops like blueberries, watermelon, and Vidalia sweet onions. But fruit and vegetable growers in Georgia and throughout the southeast have limited viable options when it comes to insuring their crops against natural disasters. And Georgia growers are already struggling with market challenges by lower-cost fruits and vegetables imported from other countries. U-S-D-A must do all that it can to provide these farmers with more certainty. Administrator Bunger, from your perspective, what are some of the unique challenges facing fruit and vegetable growers in Georgia and throughout the Southeast?”

Marcia Bunger, Administrator, Risk Management Agency of the USDA: “Thank you for the question. Like I mentioned earlier, my husband and I, being rural/real crop farmers in the Dakotas, over the last 27 years, crop insurance has been a cornerstone of our operation. It is my commitment that specialty crop growers, growers of vegetables, fruits, all too have the same policy so that they can experience the same levels of coverage, and so we continue to work and expand our programs. We’ve recently announced expansion with the revenue limits on whole farm revenue protection, which would be a possibility for some of your growers, along with micro farm, where we’ve tripled the revenue limits on that. We’ve reduced the red tape for those types of policies to make it more accessible to specialty crop growers. We’ve recently introduced a strawberry policy that is now available. We just continue to look toward the different avenues as ways to have policies come to all of the growers across the country, not just your traditional growers.”

SW: “Do you think this will provide more cost effective options for growers?”

MB: “Yes. It’s a revenue-whole farm and micro farm are both revenue types of products. That encompasses growers’ small operations, but at the same time, their diverse operations.”

SW: “Do you think it will enable some small and independent farmers who would like to get into specialty space? I’ve talked to some of them across Georgia. Do you think it will increase their ability to do something like that?”

MB: “Yes, because we too also have beginning farmer components that offer some premium assistance. We also have the TOGA program with organics, and again, we just continue to look to you. We look through the 508-H process with private submissions and even internally within the department to continue to expand policies for specialty crop growers.”

Senator Warnock: “Great, thank you. This is something I’ve had my eye on as we push forward toward a Farm Bill reauthorization. We want to make sure that our specialty crop growers have the protection they need, and I’m certainly looking forward to trying to limit risk and allow other people to get in to that space, so that we create some equity in the process and opportunity for new growers.”

Senator Warnock: “And related to that, making sure we have equity across the spectrum. It’s estimated that more than one-third of Southern, Black-owned land is considered to be heirs’ property, property that is family-owned land that has been passed down informally without a title or legal documentation. We all know the awful and sad history of this. And these issues have not only harmed the ability of these families to build intergenerational wealth for centuries, but also their ability to participate in U-S-D-A programs. So the legacy itself of these heirs’ property issues then prevent folks from being able to access the very kinds of things that should be able to give them a leg up. However, U-S-D-A still has more work to do to overcome years of institutionalized discrimination across the agriculture sector. For example, there is still no Black-owned Community Development Financial Institution enrolled as an intermediary lender for the program, and it is undersubscribed. Under Secretary Bonnie, how can U-S-D-A work to better implement this program so that family farmers can successfully pass land down to their children, build intergenerational wealth?”

Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation of the USDA: “So appreciate your efforts on this. This is a critical issue, I worked on this at the end of the Obama administration in South Carolina, Georgia, and other parts of the country. We’ve got the heirs’ property relending program right now, we’ve got two organizations that have come in the door. We’re working on a third right now. I might turn to my colleague Zach to talk ‘cause he knows this issue well.”

Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator, Farm Service Agency of the USDA: “Certainly. I share the same background, Native American producers feel that same plight-”

SW: “Sure.”

ZD: “–with fractionated land and inability to participate meaningfully in programs, so this one really strikes close to home to me, as it does to you, sir. The airship relending program is unique in that it also has technical assistance funding to help those producers meaningfully participate. One of the things that was a glaring void to me was the fact that there wasn’t a Black controlled CDFI in the AG industry, and we’ve worked closely with our cooperators, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, the National Black Growers’ Council, to help them understand the importance of that.”

SW: “How can we improve this in the next Farm Bill? I somehow have time, I just wanted to make sure we’re speaking directly to that.”

ZD: “I’ll have to provide technical assistance on that, but I have a very good idea about how we could make that better.”

SW: “Okay. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. Thank you.”

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