Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/29/19

Farmers market operators are eagerly awaiting USDA implementation of new programs in the 2018 farm bill, which the sector saw as a vote of confidence from lawmakers and a sign that farmers markets will be a permanent part of the U.S. food and ag landscape, POLITICO's Jesse Chase-Lubitz writes this morning.

But some in the industry question how much of a priority farmers market programs will be amid the Trump administration's broader farm bill implementation efforts, which were initially delayed for weeks by the 35-day government shutdown. Perdue has said implementing the bill's dairy safety net changes is at the top of USDA's to-do list.

One of the sector's priorities is the new LAMP initiative, which is set to receive $50 million each year in mandatory funding under the farm bill. LAMP absorbed an existing farmers market program that helps operators expand their customer base and their offerings.

— It will also house the Value-Added Grants Program, which provides grants to producers who turn raw goods into specialty products like jams or bread.

— Applications for some initiatives under LAMP have yet to be released by USDA, leaving some operators uncertain about when grant funding and other resources will be available. That could mean deferring plans to expand their operations until next year.

SNAP changes: The farm bill also allows producers to use a single device to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program electronic benefits at multiple farmers market locations, instead of one device per location as under current regulations. The move could lower the cost for vendors to accept SNAP benefits — but first, USDA is reviewing whether the necessary technology is available.