farm

The 80-year-old bill requires updates from Congress every five years to account for inflation and shifting welfare and agricultural policies. While some conservative circles argue the subsidies distort free markets, the omnibus bill has traditionally enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Urban and rural constituencies depend on its programs, while policymakers view a stable food source as imperative to national security.

Lincoln University in Missouri is heading a USDA-funded project researching the commodity, but its prohibition created high hurdles for getting the crop off the ground.

Programs that provide drought relief to farmers use the U.S. Drought Monitor to determine eligibility, but some experts say it doesn’t always capture local conditions.

Governor John Bel Edwards just announced new efforts to revitalize Louisiana’s rural communities that are in crisis.By executive order, Gov. Edwards…