Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2007

A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Development Act of 2002 to support beginning farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.

5/16/2007--Introduced.
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2007 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to make beginning farmer and rancher development grants available for energy conservation and organic and value-added alternative production. Caps annual grant amounts and permits consecutive grants to the same recipient. Sets forth grant evaluation criteria. Extends grant authority. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the new farmer individual development accounts pilot program under which:
(1) an eligible participant shall deposit an agreed upon amount into an account which will be matched at 300% by the program ($9,000 annual cap); and
(2) expenditures shall be used for specified farming purposes, including purchases of farmland, equipment and other assets, breeding stock, and timber, nut, or fruit trees. Revises:
(1) the down payment loan program; and
(2) the beginning farmer or rancher contract land sales program. Makes socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers eligible for inventory sales preferences on real property acquired by the Secretary through security servicing. Increases direct and operating agricultural loan limits. Requires the Secretary to establish a plan to transition agricultural loan borrowers to private credit sources. Increases fiscal year aggregate loan and specified set-aside levels. Makes socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers eligible for certain loan set-asides, and extends such set-aside authority. Includes among soil and water conservation grant priority recipients:
(1) beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; and
(2) owners or tenants who use the loans to convert to sustainable or organic agricultural production systems. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to the conservation reserve program to permit the Secretary to modify a contract to facilitate land transition from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher in order to return some or all of the land into production using sustainable grazing or crop production methods. Sets forth transition options for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. Makes socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers eligible for cost sharing under the conservation security program and the environmental quality incentives program. Amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to include among "high priority research" areas of concern to beginning farmers or ranchers. Amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to include farm transfer options for beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers among priority grant areas. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide emphasis on risk management education for beginning, immigrant, retiring, or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Thomas Harkin [D, IA]
• and 3 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Max Baucus [D, MT]
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
  • Sen. Charles Grassley [R, IA]
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Committees

• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.1412

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
May 16, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• May 16, 2007: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
• May 16, 2007: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6196-6197)
• Introduced on May 16, 2007.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.2348
• S.1460

Related Issue Areas:

• Agriculture
• Agricultural conservation
• Agricultural credit
• Agricultural education
• 27 more
• Agricultural research
• Agricultural subsidies
• Alternative agriculture
• Budgets
• Business
• Crop insurance
• Energy
• Energy conservation
• Environmental protection
• Farm lands
• Farmers
• Federal aid to research
• Finance
• Grants-in-aid
• Grazing
• Immigrants
• Immigration
• Minorities
• Minority business enterprises
• Organic farming
• Research grants
• Saving and investment
• Science policy
• Soil conservation
• Sustainable agriculture
• Water conservation
• Water resources

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

November 16, 2008 More Reasons to Love Tom Harkin

S.1412 and S.1460: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Development Act of 2002 to support beginning farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes. The first one has 3 co-sponsors. He re-proposed it and got 10 co-sponsors the ...

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Source: La Vida Locavore - Front Page

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June 23, 2008 Anderson Schools to receive red carpet award resolution

On Tuesday (06.24.08) I will present Senate Resolutions to the following schools congratulating them on these awards. Each School will receive a framed copy of the resolution in their honor. 1-S. 1412 Calhoun Academy for the Arts ...

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Source: Sen. Kevin Bryant: blog from the backbench

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July 29, 2007 This shows what is wrong with the current tax system.

[105th] Charitable Giving Incentive Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.1412.IS ] 464 . [101st] Federal Employees Fair Tax Act of 1989 (Introduced in House)[HR1279.IH ] 465 . [103rd] Tax Rate Reduction Act of 1994 (Introduced in House)[HR5306. ...

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Source: What the bleap? Bleap - Bleap - Bleap!!

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