I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2675 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to authorize 

producers on a farm to produce fruits and vegetables for processing 

on the base acres of the farm. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 27, 2011 

Mr. RIBBLE (for himself, Mr. WALZ of Minnesota, Mr. PENCE, Ms. BALDWIN, 

Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. SCHILLING, Mr. KIND, Mr. PETRI, 

Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana, and Mr. DUFFY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

to authorize producers on a farm to produce fruits and 

vegetables for processing on the base acres of the farm. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farming Flexibility 

5 Act of 2011’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. PRODUCTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR 

2 PROCESSING ON COVERED COMMODITY BASE 

3 ACRES. 

4 (a) MUNG BEANS AND PULSE CROPS.—Section 

5 1107(b)(3)(B) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 

6 of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8717(b)(3)(B)) is amended by striking 

7 ‘‘(other than mung beans and pulse crops)’’. 

8 (b) AUTHORITY FOR PRODUCTION OF FRUITS AND

9 VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING.—Section 1107(d) of the 

10 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

11 8717(d)) is amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(d) AUTHORITY FOR PRODUCTION OF FRUITS AND

13 VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING.— 

14 ‘‘(1) PLANTING AUTHORIZED.—Beginning with 

15 the 2012 crop year, notwithstanding paragraphs (1) 

16 and (2) of subsection (b) and in addition to the ex17 ceptions provided in subsection (c), producers on a 

18 farm may reduce the base acres for any covered 

19 commodity for the farm for a crop year by one acre 

20 for each acre used for the planting and production 

21 of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for 

22 processing. 

23 ‘‘(2) CONTRACT AND MANAGEMENT REQUIRE24 MENTS.—Producers on a farm shall— 

25 ‘‘(A) demonstrate to the Secretary that the 

26 producers on the farm have entered into a conmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 tract to produce a crop of a commodity speci2 fied in paragraph (1) for processing; 

3 ‘‘(B) agree to produce the crop as part of 

4 a program of crop rotation on the farm to 

5 achieve agronomic and pest and disease man6 agement benefits; and 

7 ‘‘(C) provide evidence of the disposition of 

8 the crop. 

9 ‘‘(3) REVERSION TO COVERED COMMODITY

10 BASE ACRES.—Each acre of a farm devoted to the 

11 planting and production of fruits or vegetables under 

12 paragraph (1) shall be included in the base acres for 

13 the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year, 

14 unless the producers on the farm make the election 

15 described in paragraph (1) for the subsequent crop 

16 year. 

17 ‘‘(4) RECALCULATION OF BASE ACRES.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara19 graph (B), if the Secretary recalculates the base 

20 acres for a farm, the planting of fruits and 

21 vegetables under paragraph (1) shall be consid22 ered to be the same as the planting, prevented 

23 planting, or production of a covered commodity. 

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1 ‘‘(B) PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this para2 graph provides authority for the Secretary to 

3 recalculate base acres for a farm.’’. 

Æ 

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