A bipartisan coalition of 43 members of the House urged farm bill conferees to include the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) in the final version of the farm bill. In a letter sent Tuesday, the members expressed support for permanent mandatory funding for LAMP, a provision included in the Senate version of the bill.
LAMP would consolidate several existing programs, including the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and the Value-Added Producers Grant Program (VAPG), into one program. “LAMP will light the path forward for our nation’s family farmers by strengthening two immensely popular and successful programs, FMLFPP and VAPG,” said the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in a statement. “By combining these programs, LAMP can ensure that farmers markets and other direct-market outlets continue to get the support they need to serve their communities.”
The letter, addressed to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House agriculture committees and led by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine, calls LAMP a “one-stop-shop for farmers, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders that are seeking support for projects that help farmers reach new markets.” It emphasizes that “as farmers cope with such extreme uncertainty around agricultural trade, we should do everything we can to cultivate promising domestic markets.” The Senate version of the farm bill includes $60 million in mandatory annual funding for LAMP.
On August 29, over 300 food and farm organizations wrote their own letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House agriculture committees to push for permanent funding for LAMP in the final version of the farm bill. The chairmen and ranking members lead the farm bill conference committee, which is comprised of 47 Representatives and nine Senators.