Call to Action
Take action on the Farm Bill today!
What is the Farm Bill?
The Farm Bill is a package of federal legislation that dictates the future of food, nutrition, and agricultural policies in the US and is renewed every 5 years. With the current Farm Bill set to expire at the end of September 2023, Congress is currently hard at work determining what the 2023 Farm Bill will look like and what is included. Federal funding for the Double Up Food Bucks program comes from a program called the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) that is housed within the Farm Bill. GusNIP is a federal grant program that funds nutrition incentive and produce prescription programs across the country. As GusNIP grantees and advocates for strong and resilient food systems, we have met with our elected officials in DC, signed onto a national GusNIP letter of support that was sent to Congress, and have attended multiple congressional farm Bill listening sessions to advocate for GusNIP priorities in the next iteration of the Farm Bill. Now, it’s your turn to get involved!
Farm Bill Legislation We Support
This bill introduced by Senator Hirono (D-HI) updates the GusNIP program structure to help existing grantees continue to grow participation and total dollars spent, while giving new grantees more opportunity to establish and grow small to mid-size programs. The bill seeks to increase GusNIP funding to $150 million/year and reduce the federal matching requirement from 50% to 10% for grantees.
This bipartisan bill from Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Dan Kildee (D-MI) seeks to improve and expand the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, namely by reducing the current federal matching requirement from 50% to 20% and by creating a new tier within the program that allows successful programs to scale statewide.
This bicameral legislation from Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) would scale-up GusNIP funding to $3.5 billion over 5 years and further completely eliminate the federal matching requirement for grantees.
Take Action Today
Use this link to determine who your elected officials are: https://myreps.datamade.us/
Call your reps using this script:
“Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent in your district from [Your Town/City/Village]. I am calling today to express my strong support for the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Specifically, I support three key marker bills: The GusNIP Improvement Act, The GusNIP Expansion Act of 2023, and The Opt for Health with SNAP Act (OH SNAP Act). These bills would help to collectively increase funding for the program, reduce the federal match requirement to make it easier for grantees to receive funding, and restructure the program to allow successful programs to scale their work statewide and reach more consumers. I encourage you to cosponsor the relevant legislation in your chamber and voice your support for these bills to your colleagues and on the floor.
I believe that GusNIP is a vital program that aligns with our shared values of promoting nutrition, food security, and local economic development. Your support for GusNIP in the 2023 Farm Bill will have a positive and lasting impact on our community. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, have a great day.”
Additional Information:
- Remember to be polite, respectful, and concise during the call.
- If the elected official asks for specific data or success stories about GusNIP in your region, let them know you can follow up via email and to ask for the best contact email to reach them at. You can then email K. Cooper Rohan at crohan@fieldandforknetwork.com who will follow up with their offices.
- If the official expresses support for GusNIP, thank them for their stance and urge them to continue advocating for the program during the Farm Bill discussions and to cosponsor the relevant legislation in their chamber.
Download this email template and use it to send an email to your representatives.
Please SHARE this Call for Action with your network and on social media! Post on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and ask your friends, family, loved ones, coworkers, neighbors, and acquaintances to take action!
Thank you for being a passionate advocate! Together, we will be the difference we want to see in the world.