Finding the Funding: Federal conservation and crop insurance policy takeaways in a Farm Bill year

Date & Time

Monday, May 13, 2024 

12-1 p.m. CDT/1-2 p.m. EDT

Registration 

Register for the webinar here. 

Description 

Join policy experts on agriculture conservation and crop insurance for a webinar discussion of trends in federal conservation program enrollment, the farmer safety net and policy changes that could maximize benefit for natural resources and farmers alike. As the 2024 Farm Bill draws closer to reality and more provisions become public, it may be difficult to decipher what the text means for farmers and eaters. On the webinar, panelists will decode these developments for a general audience, discuss how previous Farm Bills have helped farmers conserve land and water resources, and highlight the potential for improvement in the 2024 Farm Bill. 

Speakers

Kate Hansen, Agriculture Program Director, Izaak Walton League

Kate Hansen is the Agriculture Program Director at the Izaak Walton League of America. Her work focuses on conservation in the Farm Bill, programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, soil health and water quality. She lives in Ames, Iowa and is originally from Northwest Indiana.

Jesse Womack, Conservation Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Jesse Womack is the Conservation Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. In his role, Jesse leads the coalition’s federal advocacy on key conservation programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Besides his deep knowledge of the policy process in Washington, Jesse grew up working as a laborer on various farms and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master's in Food and Agricultural Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. Jesse has developed programming for local food farms and businesses in southern Minnesota, Jesse transitioned from that role to leading a nine-county agricultural resilience study while coordinating programming for the Feast! Local Foods Network. Before working at NSAC, Jesse worked with the Nature Conservancy in Ohio to improve water quality and carbon outcomes by promoting conservation practices to farmers.

Michael Happ, Program Associate for Climate and Rural Communities, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Michael Happ is the program associate for climate and rural communities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Through policy advocacy, coalition work and research, Michael works to ensure that the agriculture sector responds to the climate crisis and mitigates its worst effects. Michael is the author of six reports studying enrollment trends of two key farmer-focused conservation programs, the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Michael worked previously with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Wildlife Federation and former Representative Tim Walz. Michael was raised on a farm near Mendota, Illinois where his family still raises row crops and Hereford cattle.

Register for the webinar today!