At MSU Equine Performance Center (East Lansing, MI) -- Farm Bill to be signed Feb. 7, 2014

coverage in NY TIMES dot-com (Feb. 7, 2014): President Obama will sign the $956 billion farm bill on Friday February 7, 2014 as he travels to Michigan State University to extol the benefits of a thriving agricultural sector for the nation’s overall economy. Lawmakers passed the sprawling legislation this week after four years of bitter arguments over farming subsidies and Republican efforts to reduce financing for food stamps. The final bill replaces direct crop payments with an insurance program and trims $8 billion from food stamps over the next decade — far less than the $40 billion cut some Republicans had called for. Mr. Obama plans to sign the bill, the Agriculture Act of 2014, into law in East Lansing, Michigan, at Michigan State’s equine performance center. Some locals call Michigan State — known for its dairy program — “Moo U,” and Michigan has one of the nation’s largest and most diverse farming economies. In his remarks, Mr. Obama will announce a new “Made in Rural America” initiative that White House officials said was intended to help rural businesses market their goods abroad. The president will announce five regional forums on rural exports and an “investing in rural America” conference. He will also direct the White House Rural Council to host sessions in all 50 states to train Department of Agriculture staff members on how to promote rural exports. White House officials said the president would also take the opportunity to highlight growth in the farming economy during the last five years, and to note how agriculture has contributed to the economic recovery. The White House released a report on Friday from Mr. Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers that says farm income has risen significantly since the president took office in the depths of the recession. “The past five years represents one of the strongest periods in our nation’s farm economy,” the report notes. “Not only does American agriculture put food on the table of American families at affordable prices and provide raw material for a range of vital purposes, it also supports one out of every 12 jobs in the economy. The hard work done on the farm is felt throughout our economy, particularly when agriculture is thriving.” The report says that farm income is expected to total $131 billion in 2013, a 46 percent increase since 2008. Most of the increase is attributed to improved productivity, and the report notes that the values of livestock and crops are rising. One of the most controversial elements of the farm bill was the elimination of $5 billion in direct subsidies to farmers for their crops, whether they grew them or not. The subsidies were replaced by an insurance program that will help farmers only when they need it. Arguments over the food stamp program were also intense. Republicans had argued for even bigger cuts, saying that the program is wasteful and contributes to the deficit. White House officials said Mr. Obama would also talk about how the farm bill will help farmers sell their goods overseas by encouraging exports of pork, almonds, fish, fresh fruit and other products.