LANSING – Michigan corn farmers Tuesday applauded the work of the U.S. Senate for approving the 2014 Farm Bill, the Agricultural Act of 2014, with a 68-32 vote.

The legislation, which was passed in the House of Representatives last week with a 251-166 vote, now moves to President Obama?s desk to be signed into law.

Scott Lonier, President of the Michigan Corn Growers Association, said the efforts of Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, should be applauded.

?We appreciate the work by Senator Stabenow to develop a well-crafted 2014 farm bill and her efforts during the legislative process to get it approved,? said Lonier, a corn farmer from Lansing. ?While we understand that this was a long process, we commend the work of Congress and ag industry leaders in coming together to pass a common-sense farm bill.?

Martin Barbre, President of the National Corn Growers Association, also praised today?s vote.

?We?re happy to see the farm bill pass the Senate and are looking forward to seeing it signed and implemented,? Barbre said. ?It was a long time coming for a bill so important for promoting stability in farm policy while saving taxpayers money and feeding the hungry. While it?s not perfect, we?re pleased to see the bill contains many provisions we?ve been working hard for over the years.?

Among other specific provisions, the bill:

Eliminates controversial direct payments while maintaining decoupled farm support programs that will minimize the possibility of planting and production distortions that could trigger new World Trade Organization challenges.

Allows farmer to either maintain existing crop acreage base or to reallocate their current base to reflect average acres planted to covered commodities in 2009-2012, a reform that will make programs more relevant and more defensible while not tying them to current-year plantings.

Consolidates 23 previous conservation programs into 13, and focuses conservation efforts on working lands. It also ties conservation compliance for wetlands and highly erodible land to premium support for crop insurance.

Maintains authorizations for important agricultural research programs, including AFRI, as well as including a new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research that will provide a structure and mandatory funding for new public/private partnerships and investments that will further USDA?s research mission.

Maintains authorizations and funding levels for export promotion, including the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program and the Market Access Program (MAP).

Continues the combined authorization of both agricultural and nutrition programs, a linkage that has been essential in enacting every farm bill since 1974.