Currently, both the Trinity and Shasta reservoirs remain below the historic average for this time of year. Additionally, not all river basins were equally improved by recent storms. Reclamation has stated that late winter and early spring precipitation will still be necessary. View reservoir conditions and water supply allocations by contractor type here. 

The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) released its policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill on Wednesday. FACA’s recommendations, developed by the 23-member steering committee including the American Farm Bureau Federation, are divided into six categories which include: conservation, risk management, and credit; energy, food waste, forestry, livestock and dairy; and research, extension, and innovation. The policy recommendations are intended to help achieve climate goals while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. CAFB is a general member of FACA. Read the FACA farm bill recommendations here.

Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its most recent Baseline for Farm Programs on February 15. CBO releases projections on expected spending for farm programs for the 10-year baseline (the current budget year plus 10 years) up to three times a year. These projections identify expected outlays for farm program spending, assuming existing programs continue without changes, and inform Congress on the amount of program spending available as they begin to craft the 2023 farm bill. Based on the 2024-2033 10-year outlay projection, a 2023 farm bill would cost nearly $1.5 trillion, making it the most expensive farm bill on record. In the new baseline, CBO increased its estimate of outlays for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $8 billion (6%) for 2023 and by $93 billion (8%) between 2023-2034. The CBO also projected that SNAP is estimated to make up 82% of farm bill spending followed by federal crop insurance at 6.6%. For a more in-depth review of the new CBO baseline for the 2023 Farm Bill, view American Farm Bureau Federation’s Market Intel here.

This week, USDA announced it will invest more than $48.6 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, restore forest ecosystems, and combat climate change. This year, USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest in projects, including 14 new projects, that bring together agricultural producers, forest landowners, and National Forest System lands to improve forest health. Funding utilized for these projects comes from available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities. One of the 14 new projects includes the three-year, $3.3 million Forest Health and Fire Resilient Rural Communities Phase Three project in the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests. For more information, visit the USDA NRCS Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership webpage.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be opening up the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for general applications on February 27^th. The signup period will remain open through April 7^th. CRP is a voluntary land conservation program that pays yearly rental fees to farmers for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and instead planting species that are intended to improve the environmental quality of the surrounding soils and waters. Contracts are typically between 10-15 years in length, and while there is a continuous year-round program available as well, this general selection period only offers competitive bids once a year. For more information, click here.

The USDA’s Census of Agriculture (or “Ag Census”) will continue to accept census questionnaire submissions through the spring despite the official February 6, 2023 deadline. Although more than one million producers have completed the survey, the agency is leaving the survey open to allow more the maximum number of producers to respond. Those that have not filled out their information are encouraged to do so. The data helps examine trends on land use, income and expenditures, production practices, and more. Since 1840, the information has generally been collected every five years, with some slight alterations at various points. While individualized data is private, the aggregate information is then compiled and released in a national report, helping shift conversations around agricultural industry here in the US.

This week, the US Food & Drug Administration announced draft recommendations for the naming of plant-based foods that are marketed and sold as dairy milk alternatives. The recommendations come in the form of guidance and would not place a legal labeling requirement on private industry, but it does suggest that non-dairy milks are within their right to continue using the “milk” terminology. A bipartisan group of legislators have already hit back against this announcement, pointing out their concerns that traditional dairy products are getting pushed out of school and other nutrition programs in recent years. The debate of “What is milk?” has certainly heightened in recent years with the growth in alternative non-dairy drinks such as almond and oat milks. It is certainly possible that this contentious issue could be addressed in the upcoming Farm Bill, particularly since a significant portion of its funding deals directly with nutrition programs.