Daniel Vestal was the executive coordinator of the Atlanta-headquartered Cooperative Baptist Fellowship until 2012. He lobbied Congress about the 2007 farm bill for reforms aimed at helping rural areas and poor farmers.

Garrett Martin directs the Maine Center for Economic Policy, which in 2007 called for increases in the food stamp program.

Bruce Mallory is interim director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The institute’s research includes poverty, rural families and communities, and the environment.

Hugh Joseph is a research associate at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Boston, and is project developer of the school’s New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.

See a March 7, 2012, item from the Catholic Relief Services Newswire about U.S. Catholic bishops and other leaders in the church urging support for a farm bill that helps the needy, is fair to farmers and ranchers and promotes good land stewardship.  

Read an April 16, 2012, Politico story about efforts to trim the food stamp program and the effect that debate is having on the farm bill.  

Read a June 3, 2012, Associated Press article (posted by Bloomberg Businessweek) about the farm bill and its status on Capitol Hill.  

Read a June 4, 2012, National Journal article about the public’s mixed views on the farm bill, as seen in a recent poll conducted for the publication.  

Read a June 5, 2012, Huffington Post blog entry about the importance of the food stamp program.