FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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JULY 17, 2001date |
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Herb Kohl secured funding for several agricultural measures important to Wisconsin as part of the FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations Bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today. In addition, Kohl ensured that the bill contains no language to continue or expand the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact. This appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a range of agriculture, nutrition and food safety programs. Kohl serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and is the Chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
Kohl secured $500,000 for the State of Wisconsin's school breakfast pilot program. Last year, Kohl secured $500,000 for this project to be distributed as one-time grants to offset the start up costs of establishing the federal school breakfast program in some Wisconsin schools; today's funding would help add additional schools to the pilot project.
"Teachers and school administrators have some of the toughest - and most important - jobs, spending hours a day preparing our children to succeed. But if kids are coming to school on an empty stomach, they don't learn as well and teachers have to work even harder. This school breakfast program is expanding in demand, so I'm pleased the committee approved this funding to include more schools in the pilot project," Kohl said.
While nearly half of the states have 80 percent or more of their schools serving both lunch and breakfast under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, there exists a wide gulf between states with the highest rates of school participation in the breakfast program and those with the lowest. According to the School Breakfast Scorecard, a report by the Food Research and Action Center, 11 states have less than 60 percent of schools that participate in both breakfast and lunch programs. In Wisconsin, only 35 percent of the schools that serve lunch also serve breakfast.
Kohl helped increase nationwide funding for Sustainable Agriculture Extension by $4.5 million and Sustainable Agriculture Research by $13 million. The Sustainable Agriculture program funds on-farm research into farming methods that promote profitability while protecting the environment and food supply. This program is critical to the long-term viability of Wisconsin agriculture.
"As we look forward to the future of family farming, it's clear that our farms must adopt sustainable practices if they are to preserve their acreage and remain financially viable. This is a worthy program that has brought much benefit to the farmers all across our state, so I'm pleased we were able to increase its funding today," Kohl said.
Also, Kohl secured $3 million for the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Madison to add a new building to its research facility. The FY 2001 Agriculture Appropriations bill provided funds for a feasibility and planning study for facility modernization and an addition, and the funding approved today would support the design phase for this important project.
Other funding that Kohl obtained in the FY2002 appropriations bill include:
• $1 million for the Aldo Leopold Foundation for conservation activities.
• $600,000 for the Babcock Institute at the University of Wisconsin, a leading research facility that utilizes Wisconsin's internationally recognized dairy leadership to help developing nations and promote the state's dairy export efforts. The funding will support research on competitiveness in the international dairy sector.
• $250,000 for the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Madison to continue research to control wheat and barley scab.
• $500,000 for the Conservation Technology Transfer Pilot Program at the University of Wisconsin, which will support on-farm research to help dairy farmers manage nutrients.
• A $1.25 million increase in funding for the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center to support an agroecologist position and to supplement the existing cooperative agreement between Dairy Forage Research Center and the University of Wisconsin Agronomy Department to conduct research on Integrated Farming Systems.
• $4.6 million for the national AgrAbility farm safety project being carried out in cooperation with the National Easter Seal Society.
• $500,000 for the Food Systems Research Group in Wisconsin to support ongoing research on competitiveness in the food sector.
• $1.2 million for Geographic Information System Program for advanced technology used in regional land use and planning. The national program is newly based in Madison.
• $250,000 for a Grazing Education Initiative in Wisconsin. As more and more farmers in the state turn to grazing, this program will help them carry out sustainable agriculture practices that help preserve the land and environment.
• $2.5 million for the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control. This regional program focuses on land use planning to help prevent non-point source pollution and promote other water quality preservation activities.
• $200,000 for Potato Pest Management. This funding will support ongoing research by the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, World Wildlife Fund and University of Wisconsin-Madison to reduce the use of high-risk pesticides and improve niche marketing opportunities.
• $3 million for Johne's Disease research nationwide. Dairy producers in Wisconsin and around the country have suffered economic losses due to this disease, which attacks the digestive system of cows, sheep and goats.
• $500,000 for the Wisconsin Animal Health Consortium for a pilot program to aid in creating a universal identification and database system for tracking movement of animal and animal based food products.
• $137 million in nationwide funding for the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. This program supports research through a competitive, peer-reviewed process to address key agriculture issues. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been highly successful in tapping this program for key research to support agriculture.
• $1 million for the Organic Transition Program. This national program addresses all issues that are applicable to the transition process to certified organic production, including soil and crop fertility; marketing; weed, insect, and other pest management.
• $9.85 million for Rural Circuit Rider. This national program provides assistance for rural water and waste disposal systems.
• $250,000 for the University of Wisconsin-Extension to develop educational programs being requested by the green industry, urban fruit and vegetable entrepreneurs, and community gardeners.
The FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill must now be approved by the Senate.