The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) established under the Food and Security Act of 1985 had these objectives: 1) Reducing supplies of surplus agricultural commodities. 2) Providing farmer income support. 3) Preventing threats to environmental quality.

The Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994 legislated several significant reforms in federally subsidized crop insurance.

The Iowa Ag Review recently began its second year of publication. As of February 1996, we had over 2,000 subscribers to our quarterly publication. Using our address list, we tried to provide a look at who receives the Iowa Ag Review.

FAPRI's newest analyst brings to his job a keen interest in how public policy impacts the agricultural sector. In fact, Steven L. Elmore, who came to Iowa State University in June, 1995 from the University of Nebraska's agricultural economics department, says that his job at FAPRI is one of the few places in the country where he can fully use his background in economics, natural resources, and political science.

Late last year, U.S. House and Senate conferees reached agreement on language for the Agricultural Reconciliation Act of 1995 (ARA-95). President Clinton later vetoed this as part of his refusal to approve the Balanced Budget Act. The agricultural package, because of its similarities to the 1995 Roberts-Emerson proposal, was called "Freedom to Farm" by some. FAPRI evaluated the ARA-95 proposal soon after the Congressional compromise was reached.