WASHINGTON —The House narrowly passed, by a 216-208 vote, a stripped-down farm bill for the first time without the nutrition title, an unorthodox move fiercely criticized by House Democrats but praised by specialty crop producers if it gets a five-year farm policy bill into conference with the Senate.

Last month the farm bill suffered a major defeat on the House floor in a battle over food stamps, so House Republican leadership removed that section from the legislation, passing a new farm bill but leaving questions of whether the Senate will accept the bill and move closer to negotiating differences between the two bills. The 2008 farm bill expires Sept. 30, 2013.

“The bill passed by the House today is not a real farm bill and is an insult to rural America, which is why it’s strongly opposed by more than 500 farm, food and conservation groups,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, said after the bill passed.  “We will go to conference with the bipartisan, comprehensive farm bill that was passed in the Senate that not only reforms programs, supports families in need and creates agriculture jobs, but also saves billions more than the extremely flawed House bill.”

But while acknowledging the path to a farm bill has been unusual, United Fresh Produce Association Public Policy Senior Vice President Robert Guenther said it may be the best chance to move the ball forward.

 “I think we’re happy we now have a product that can go to the Senate,” said Guenther.

These comments were echoed in a July 11 statement by the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which has been instrumental in lobbying for Specialty Crop Block Grants, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Market Access Program, Section 32 specialty crop purchases and other key programs.

“We are pleased that both the House and Senate bills address many of the critical priorities outlined by the SCFBA and continue the support of specialty crops that was established in the 2008 farm bill,” said the national coalition of more than 120 organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products. “We look forward to working with negotiators to advance legislation through conference committee and to the president’s desk for his signature.”

The top Republican in the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) praised the House vote and pledged to work with his Senate counterparts to find a path forward.

"Today was an important step toward enacting a five-year farm bill this year that gives our farmers and ranchers certainty, provides regulatory relief to small businesses across the country, significantly reduces spending and makes common-sense, market-oriented reforms to agricultural policy,” he said.  

Guenther said United Fresh supports the Senate-passed nutrition title, and he admits this year’s road to a farm bill has been like no other. “This is unchartered territory,” he said.

It’s unclear whether the Senate will wait until the House votes on a separate bill that contains a nutrition title or accept the bill just passed by the House as a starting point. Either way, there are several procedural hurdles with additional votes required in both chambers before the bill can end up in the hands of a conference committee.

“It’s keeping the ball moving. It’s better than an extension,” Guenther said.