First Major Ag Bill is 'Green'  Northeast congressional reps
climb on environmental bandwagon.  Published on: Sep 18, 2006
Election season must be in the air. The "Healthy Farms, Foods
and Fuels Act of 2006" was recently introduced in the U.S. House
of Representatives. It's the first major agriculture bill,
touted as the forerunner of the next Farm Bill.  Head honkers of
U.S. House Agriculture, Science and Energy and Commerce
Committees were in the formation of 27 congressional
representatives sponsoring the legislation that would double
conservation and renewable energy spending over the life of the
next Farm Bill. Twelve of the sponsors were from Northeast
states.  Farm policy winds changing?  "Expanding conservation
incentives will ensure that farm policy helps all farmers and
ranchers regardless of how much land they farm, whether they
grow traditional or specialty crops, or where they live," says
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI), House Ag Committee member.  Under past Farm
Bills, the lion's share of federal support