Not since 1985 have the words agriculture, farm or some recognition of production agriculture been omitted from the title of a farm bill. Some see this as a sign of the decline in Congressional support for agricultural programs. In the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), commodity funding was cut by an estimated $12 billion from the 2002 Farm Bill.

This article describes the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program, a new farm support policy enacted in the 2008 Farm Bill. Policy background for the ACRE state revenue program is discussed. Initial results are presented from an analysis of expected farm level payments from ACRE and traditional farm support programs.

Funding for major conservation programs is forecast to total $29.09 billion over FY2008–12 under the 2008 Farm Bill. By FY2011, funding for working lands programs will surpass that of land retirement programs for the first time. Conservation programs now form an essential political element of U.S. farm bill passage.

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), provided a landmark in U.S. agricultural policy by including a separate title dealing specifically with the fruit, vegetable, tree nut, floriculture and nursery sectors of the U.S. agricultural economy. This article summarizes key provisions of Title X of the 2008 Food, Conservation and Energy Act and related support for U.S. specialty crop agriculture and asks questions about their potential benefit.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 maintains farm support programs that are subject to annual spending constraints in the WTO. Changes in the legislation including the Average Revenue Crop Election (ACRE) program, may strain the ability to spend below current or proposed WTO domestic support constraints.