WASHINGTON -
The U.S. Senate has passed a five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill. It cuts farm subsidies and land conservation spending by about $2 billion a year, but the measure largely protects sugar growers and some 46 million food stamp recipients.
In Vermont, a new program could help dairy farmers. It would create a federally-subsidized margin insurance program. According to Sen. Patrick Leahy's office, a key element of this program would discourage oversupply of milk. In theory that would boost the price paid to farmers.
The farm bill now goes to the House which is likely to seek deeper cuts in food stamps.
