Lines in the dirt drawn for farm bill

The bill would give farmers of specialty crops -- the fruit, vegetables and nuts grown largely in California -- a slice of the farm bill pie for the first time, though they would not get direct payments. The bill grants $1.6 billion for specialty crops over the next five years, a victory for Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Atwater), who fought hard for the money.

The bill allocates $215 million for research related to fruits and vegetables, such as better pest control, and $365 million for block grants for projects in research, education, marketing and food safety. About $32 million will be set aside to promote farmers' markets. A program to encourage schoolchildren to eat more fruits and vegetables would get $350 million, and research on organic farming would receive $25 million. About $150 million has been set aside to pay farmers to reduce air pollution, much of which could go to the San Joaquin Valley.

Kind and his amendment co-sponsors, who include Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), would boost spending on specialty food crops by $1.2 billion. Spending on conservation would rise $3.1 billion. Domestic programs to address hunger would increase by at least $5.6 billion, and international food aid, at zero in the bill, would get $1.1 billion.

They would also limit subsidies to farmers whose incomes are less than $250,000 and gradually reduce direct payments to farmers.

Kind said he hoped Pelosi and the bill's authors would allow an hour's debate on their amendment and was upbeat about its chances. An analysis by the nonprofit Environmental Defense found that the amendment would increase federal farm spending in 348 congressional districts.

"Anything can happen on the House floor once this proposal is better known," Kind said, "and that's going to be the challenge we face for the next 48, 72 hours, to help bring our colleagues up to speed on what fair reform really looks like rather than the token reform we're getting from the committee."

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nicole.gaouette@latimes.com