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An Article for Your Church's Newsletter
This year, Congress will renew the U.S. farm bill. The term "farm bill" doesn't really do justice to this complex piece of legislation. In addition to agriculture programs, the farm bill contains a wide variety of policies and programs that affect both rural Americans, whether they work on farms or not, and hungry people in this country and around the world. Bread for the World's 2007 Offering of Letters, Seeds of Change: Help Farmers. End Hunger, calls for reforms in the farm bill that will help strengthen rural communities, better support farmers, improve the Food Stamp Program and provide increased opportunities for farmers in other countries to earn a living from agriculture.
Decisions on where to put federal financial resources reflect the priorities we have as a country. With a detailed list of the actual financial commitments made for specific needs and wants, it's easy to spot the true priorities. The farm bill is no exception. The portions of the budget which serve small-scale farmers, farmers who grow fruits, vegetables and other "specialty" crops, and rural people who do not farm are meager. Yet these are the vast majority of rural residents. In fact, only 6 percent of people in U.S. rural areas are involved in farming at all, and many of those also hold jobs off the farm.
The Food Stamp Program receives a significant part of the farm bill budget -- resources which are essential since food stamps are the country's first line of defense against hunger. Yet the funding made available is not sufficient to address the whole of our hunger and food insecurity problem. Only about 60 percent of the people who are eligible actually participate in the Food Stamp Program, and for most families, food stamp benefits last only until the second or third week of each month.
Farm bill spending also has an impact on hungry and poor people around the world. The farm bill funds commodity payments to some U.S. farms, often the largest producers and those who grow "commodity crops," chiefly corn, wheat, soybeans, rice and cotton. Such commodity payments sometimes contribute to artificially low world prices, making it difficult for farmers growing these crops in poor countries to receive a fair price for their harvests and earn enough to support their families. This is of particular concern since the United States has promised to help cut hunger in half as part of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.
Bread for the World believes that our country can do a better job of managing the resources in the farm bill. Through Seeds of Change, we are asking Congress to improve the farm bill so that U.S. farmers receive better and broader support, rural communities are strengthened, hungry people in this country are helped, and farmers in developing countries are supported in their efforts to sell their crops and support their families.
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Let us pray for those who struggle to earn a living in rural areas, whether as farmers, workers in factories or services, or both. Let us pray for the 35 million people in the United States who face food insecurity. Let us also pray for our nation’s decision-makers as they work to pass a farm bill that is fair to all those affected by its policies.
Facts: Hunger and the Farm Bill
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Hunger and poverty rates are higher in rural areas of the United States than in urban areas. The latest available figures show that 12 percent of rural households are food insecure, compared to 11 percent of all households, and nearly 14 percent of rural people live below the poverty line, compared to 12.5 percent of all households.
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Just 6 percent of all rural residents work in farming. Most other jobs are in services. Promoting rural entrepreneurship and strengthening infrastructure are essential for a strong rural sector, yet the funds authorized for rural water quality, rural firefighters and other vital services are meager and sometimes not made available at all.
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In 2002, two-thirds of farming households reported that the farm operator or his/her spouse also held a job off the farm.
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One-third of the country's farms receive commodity payments. The top 10 percent of the farms receiving payments got 66 percent of the total (an average of $90,599 per year), while the bottom 80 percent got 17 percent of the total (an average of $2,985).
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The U.S. crops which receive commodity payments (chiefly corn, wheat, soybeans, rice and cotton) generate $53 billion in revenue. But fruits, vegetables and other "specialty crops," which are not eligible for commodity payments, generate nearly as much -- about $50 billion annually.
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An important component of the farm bill is the Food Stamp Program, which serves more than 25 million people each month. Because food stamps are an entitlement – meaning that everyone who is eligible must be allowed to participate – the program has proven to be a rapid, effective response to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
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But food stamp benefits generally run out well before the end of each month. This is especially true for rural participants; one recent study found that the monthly food stamp benefits of rural households lasted an average of 2 weeks, 4 days. Raising the food stamp benefit would allow families to purchase healthy food every day.
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Profile: First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, MI
The hunger committee at First United Methodist Church is already planning the church's 11th annual Offering of Letters, set to take place in May. In order to be prepared, several people will attend the annual workshop given by a Bread for the World regional organizer for people planning to hold an Offering of Letters in the Detroit area.
Since becoming a BFW Covenant Church in 1996, First United Methodist has contributed faithfully to Bread for the World's work through financial support and activism. First United Methodist has sent about 15,000 letters to members of Michigan's congressional delegation since 1996. In 2006, First United members sent more than 2,200 letters, divided among two senators and two representatives. The church's hunger committee members maintain contact with their members of Congress through phone calls and face-to-face meetings. For example, hunger coordinator Norris Lee attends public meetings held by Rep. Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) and urges the representative to support Bread for the World's Offering of Letters. He demonstrates the commitment of the church by providing copies of the church bulletin.
Mr. Lee said that each year more and more members of First United grow in their knowledge of hunger and poverty in nearby Detroit and around the world through the Offering of Letters. The increasing number of letters to Congress from First United demonstrates this increased knowledge and commitment to end hunger. From his perspective, "Bread for the World explains things in a concrete way and reports on the results of the campaigns. People are seeing that what we are asking them to do is working."
Mr. Lee and other church leaders work hard to ensure that the Offering of Letters is well publicized and parishioners have plenty of opportunity to learn about the issues they will be writing about. They maintain a bulletin board throughout the year with information on hunger, including timely articles from Bread for the World's newsletter. Mr. Lee also creates many posters and displays using the pictures and information provided in the OL kit, which he then displays around the fellowship hall. The Offering of Letters is announced ahead of time in the weekly church newsletter, "Steeple Notes," and announcements from the pulpit are made. In addition, the Offering of Letters video is shown three times, during the coffee hour of the Sunday before the offering, on the Sunday itself and on the following Sunday. Children's letters are written on a different color of paper and included when -- to get letters to their representatives quickly – members of the hunger committee hand-carry the letters to the local offices of their members of Congress.
Bread for the World is strengthened by the advocacy efforts and support of the hunger committee and congregation of First United Methodist Church. First United Methodist’s faith in action is lived out through its involvement with Bread for the World, and it is an outstanding partner in ending hunger in the world.
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Ask Congress to develop and pass a farm bill that strengthens rural communities, reduces hunger and provides broader support to farmers.
An effective letter has three essential ingredients:
- Be Specific
As the U.S. farm bill comes up for reauthorization, Congress has an opportunity to improve our current farm policy, which provides large payments to some farmers but does little to help most farmers and other rural families of modest means.
- Name the Action
Please improve the farm bill so that it provides better support for U.S. farmers, strengthens rural communities, helps hungry people in the United States, and supports the efforts of farmers in developing countries to sell their crops and feed their families.
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Give a Reason
Large numbers of people -- small and medium-sized U.S. farmers, “specialty” farmers, people who live in rural areas, and hungry and poor people in this country and around the world – would benefit from farm bill reforms.
Sample Letter:
Dear Sen. _________ or Rep. _________,
As a constituent, I'm writing to ask you to make needed reforms to the U.S. farm bill. Our current farm policy provides large payments to some farmers but does little to help many other farmers and rural families of modest means who do not farm.
Congress could improve the farm bill so that it provides broader support for U.S. farmers, strengthens rural communities and enables farmers in developing countries to get a fair price for their crops. In addition, the farm bill could do more to encourage eligible people to participate in the Food Stamp Program and enable participants to afford a nutritious diet.
Large numbers of people would benefit from these reforms -- small and medium-sized U.S. farmers, "specialty" farmers, people who live in rural areas, and hungry and poor people in this country and around the world.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
Send your letter to:
Sen. _____________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. _____________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
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All the information you need to plan your 2007 Offering of Letters is in Bread for the World's Offering of Letters kit for Seeds of Change: Help Farmers. End Hunger.
There are resources to help you understand the policies we will be working to influence: an overview of how the farm bill affects hunger and poverty; a summary of the programs contained in the bill; facts on hunger, agriculture and the farm bill; questions and answers about the farm bill's provisions; and stories of the farm bill's impact on real people.
Other key parts of the kit explain what an Offering of Letters is and what its goals are. Included are a timetable for planning your event, a sample presentation and a sample letter. There are words of support from leaders of several denominations; worship aids; and a reflection on the biblical basis for the Offering of Letters. Other features are awareness activities for the congregation, including children; activities and ideas for campus and emerging leaders; and lists of print and online resources.
The Offering of Letters DVD helps viewers understand the farm bill and why Bread for the World is urging several types of reform. The video features interviews with farmers, food stamp participants and others affected by farm bill policies, as well as reflection on why advocacy is so important to ending hunger in God's world.
The Offering of Letters kit also includes graphs and other visual aids; the 2007 poster with space to include the date and time of your Offering of Letters event; tear-off cards with stories, reflections, Scripture, and activities; bulletin inserts; and information on becoming a member of Bread for the World. There are details on our June 2007 National Gathering – we urge you to attend!
The kit has information on Bread for the World Institute's 2007 Hunger Report, Healthy Food, Farms and Families. Because the report looks at the farm bill through the lens of hunger and its causes and solutions, it is an ideal complement to this year's Offering of Letters, Seeds of Change: Help Farmers. End Hunger.
Order your 2007 Offering of Letters kit and free bulletin inserts from our online store.
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Bread for the World's staff can offer tips on letter writing, brief you on legislation, assist your church's hunger ministry, and put you in touch with others who are working on these issues.
Bread for the World National Office: 1-800-82-BREAD
Church Relations Staff
Regional Organizers in National Office
- Elise Young, Central/Mid-Atlantic Organizer
- Erin Luchenbill, Campus Organizer
Bread for the World Regional Offices
- Mariah Priggen (1-800-447-0-BFW)
Illinois, Indiana and Missouri Organizer
- David Gist (1-800-315-3BFW)
California Organizer
- Matt Newell-Ching (1-888-75-BREAD)
Western Organizer
- Ricardo Moreno (1-800-315-3BFW)
Organizer for Latino Relations
- Tamela Walhof (1-800-363-7BFW)
Upper Midwest Organizer
- Elizabeth Coleman (1-888-BFW-0073)
Southeast Organizer
- Larry Hollar (1-800-619-9239)
North Central Organizer
- Derrick Boykin (1-866-238-0507)
Northeast Organizer
