On The Table

For most of us, having a good broadband connection is almost as important as having lights and running water. But in many rural areas, a fast, affordable connection is still hard to come by.

In this episode of NET’s On The Table, we hear what happens when a small town is stuck with a slow internet connection and why money from the farm bill and other federal broadband programs is not always making it to the places that need it most.

Jonathan Ahl’s reporting about broadband access in Swiss, Missouri: http://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/rural-businesses-need-better-internet-access-expand-solutions-aren-t-so-easy

Roberto Gallardo’s 2016 TedX talk about the rural digital divide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30tFztBdXZM

Census report on broadband and poverty: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/2013-2017-acs-5year.html

FCC broadband map: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/

After months of negotiation and after withstanding a last minute political maneuver, the 2018 Farm Bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump. The law spends $867 billion over 10 years on everything from food assistance, to crop insurance, to forestry and much more. In this episode of On The Table, NET’s Grant Gerlock discusses what made it in the final bill, and what was left out, with Ellyn Ferguson of CQ Roll Call and Catherine Boudreau of Politico.

Ellyn Ferguson’s article on the farm bill headed to President Trump,
https://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/trump-sign-farm-bill-minus-food-stamp-changes

Catherine Boudreau’s story about the farm bill passed by Congress,
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/12/house-passes-farm-bill-1060916

You may have never thought of them this way, but forests are a lot like crops. With wildfires and other ecological concerns rising, what does this mean for how we think about our forests? Well, we may find some answers in the Farm Bill. In this episode of NET’s On The Table, we’re talking about what the Farm Bill means to one of our most important resources.

Nicky Ouellet, Montana Public Radio;
http://www.mtpr.org/people/nicky-ouellet

Fourth National Climate Assessment Executive Summary;
https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/executive-summary/

National Interagency Fire Center, fire information;
https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_main.html

Industrial hemp is not a new crop, but some farmers are hoping it could bring new life to their businesses. The 2018 Farm Bill could make it legal to grow again across the U.S. In this episode of NET’s On The Table, Grant Gerlock talks to Harvest Public Media’s Esther Honig about confusion between federal and state laws over hemp production and a California farmer explains why he sees hemp as a lucrative alternative to the lettuce and cauliflower he grows now.

Esther Honig’s coverage on hemp farming,
http://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/hemp-farmers-show-excitement-and-concern-over-possible-federal-legalization
http://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/cannabis-derived-drug-gains-full-federal-approval-some-cbd-reclassified
Congressional Research Service report on hemp as a potential cash crop
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32725.pdf

Most of the money in the farm bill spent to support farmers goes to people growing large-scale commodity crops like corn, soybeans and cotton. Very little goes to urban farmers or small vegetable producers. In this episode of NET’s On The Table, farmers who don’t fit the traditional mold talk about surviving without a safety net.

Growing Home, http://growinghomeinc.org/

Robinette Farms, https://www.robinettefarms.com/

Alex McKiernan’s podcast, Science for the Rest of Us, https://www.scienceforus.org/

The farm bill is late. On September, 30th the current law expired and Congress is not close to passing a new version. In this episode, NET's Grant Gerlock talks with reporters Ellyn Ferguson (CQ Roll Call) and Madelyn Beck (Harvest Public Media) for a brief update on the consequences for people who depend on farm and rural programs. And if Congress couldn’t pass a farm bill by now, when will it happen?
Ellyn Ferguson’s coverage of the farm bill here, https://www.rollcall.com/author/efergusoncq-com
Madelyn Beck’s story about the farm bill expiring,
http://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/farm-bill-deadline-pass-without-extension-against-wishes-influential-groups

As the nation finds itself recovering from yet another record-setting and devastating hurricane, NET’s “On the Table” looks at how farmers and ranchers receive federal disaster relief. Whether it’s a plantain plantation demolished by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico or a wheatfield destroyed by wildfire in Oregon—the Farm Bill sets aside funds to offset losses for damage to crops and livestock.

FERN, the Food and Environment Reporting Network, https://thefern.org/
Allison Keyes, @allisonradio
iCyclone footage from Hurricane Maria, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae96xf293Dc

In this episode of NET's “On the Table,” we grapple with the shift toward polarization in American politics. For years, the farm bill was built around compromise between urban and rural interests in Congress. But today’s political landscape is marked by partisan ideology and the farm bill is no exception.

Check out Christopher Bosso’s book covering farm bill politics in 2014:
https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2420-1.html

Look at Ellyn Ferguson’s coverage of the farm bill here:
https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/senate-agrees-conference-house-farm-bill-compromise

Music by Blue Dot Sessions:
freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/

Sales of organic food have been growing fast and show no signs of slowing down. But what do consumers think they’re buying? In this episode of NET’s “On The Table,” we look at what organic means and how the 2018 farm bill could change the course of the industry.
Show notes:
FERN, The Food and Environment Reporting Network:
https://thefern.org/
Barry Yeoman:
http://barryyeoman.com/
Organic sales trends from the Organic Trade Association:
https://ota.com/resources/organic-industry-survey
Music by Blue Dot Sessions:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/

In this episode of NET’s “On the Table,” NPR’s Dan Charles introduces us to a group of farmers with their noses in the dirt and explains why food companies could soon start labelling their products as soil friendly. And host Grant Gerlock digs into a program that pays farmers to be conservation-minded. It’s popular, but could be cut in the 2018 farm bill.
Show Notes
To watch the The Plow that Broke the Plains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQCwhjWNcH8
For an even more in-depth history of soil conservation in the U.S. check out:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?cid=nrcs143_021392
Music by Blue Dot Sessions:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/