In the early months of 2018, Congress will map out how it’ll spend upwards of $500 billion on food and farm programs over the next five years.

The massive piece of legislation known as the farm bill affects all taxpayers — whether they know it or not — and runs the gamut from farm safety net and conservation programs to food stamps and loan guarantees for rural hospitals.

About 80 percent of farm bill dollars go to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Since the bill hasn’t been introduced yet, now is the time when interest groups, farmers and others clamor to ensure their desires will be heard.

It’s not just farmers who care about the bill, Gilbert says. That’s because everybody eats, and the programs can affect food prices and availability, fund local food and farmers market projects and, especially, assist those who need federal help to put food on the table.

Read the full article on the federal farm bill by Amy Mayer at Harvest Public Media