Recess is over… and it’s time to get back to work. That’s the message members of the Dairy Farmers of America are sending to the U.S. House. Congress went on its August recess before a floor vote could be taken on the House’s version of the farm bill, H.R. 6083 – the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012. A similar measure has already passed the Senate. In a letter from John Wilson, Senior Vice President of DFA, the group sent a petition with nearly 2,000 signatures to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) reminding him that the current bill expires soon:

“The 2008 authorization bill expires on September 30, 2012, and current domestic dairy programs do not provide farmers with the tools they need to weather extreme volatility in the global market. The bill pending before Congress represents significant compromise and fiscal discipline, and addresses critical needs of the dairy industry.

“Passage of the 2012 Farm Bill is vitally important to America’s dairy farmers. The dairy provisions in H.R. 6083 would provide dairy farmers with enhanced risk management tools, keep the industry competitive in the global marketplace, and save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. More importantly, this program will be critical in helping dairy farmers avoid the massive erosion of equity experienced in 2009.

Earlier this week, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack tried to alleviate dairy farmers’ concerns among National Farmers Union members in Washington, D.C. Tomorrow (Sept. 12, 2012), the NFU and American Farm Bureau Federation will team up for a rally in the nation’s capital calling for passage of a farm bill.