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If you have a preference, have your voice heard and share what programs you support and don't support through the USDA Farm BILL LET'S KEEP PUSHING FOR A BETTER FARM BILL! GOOD NEWS! The final appropriations bill that was approved by the Senate and then passed in the House last week restores funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Your phone calls made a difference! BAD NEWS! We're deeply disappointed that the bill passed does not address the programs left stranded by the farm bill extension. These programs for beginning, minority, local, and organic food farmers have at this point ZERO funding for 2013. Entire sectors of agriculture are being told they do not count! At the same time, Congress continues to provide antiquated direct production subsidies despite high commodity prices and farm income, and despite decisions by both Agriculture Committees and by the full Senate in 2012 to terminate them. Please contact you're your Senators and Congress member and urge them to provide mandatory funding for these critical programs in the farm bill extension that serve beginning, minority, local, and organic food farmers. Don't let Congress leave these programs without funding. Speak out today! Please call: Senator Gillibrand at (212) 688-6262 Senator Schumer at (518) 431-4070 Go to http://www.house.gov/<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001oKXqF14n8b3vGSkNRDLuX2nLYWPAW79IHnWQEc8-5frEbTFtK37U7iRR43SrnZK4czrm20isa2KIOfBv0IcGExLpNQdb5NISBvSVdrSTUfE=> to find out how to reach your congressmember. Thanks, Tanya Tanya Smolinsky Communications & Development Director Vicki Morrone Organic Farming Specialist Center For Regional Food Systems at MSU 480 Wilson Rd. Room 303 East Lansing, MI 48824 517-353-3542/517-282-3557 (cell) [log in to unmask] Www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html