Congress let the massive farm bill expire over the weekend, and for Vermont dairy farmers it now means the end of the safety net program known as Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), which helps bridge the gap between what it costs to produce milk and what farmers get paid for it.

The Agency of Natural Resources prepares to launch a new initiative that prevents stormwater runoff through better infrastructure design. And Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross discusses the implications of Congress' failure to pass a new farm bill.

There's a growing possibility that Congress will allow the current Farm Bill to expire at the end of this month, is why Congressman Peter Welch is trying to force a vote on a new bill that has important provisions for the state's dairy industry.

Newscast: Friday, August 10, 2012, 5:50 p.m.

House Republican leaders want to delay consideration of the 2012 Farm bill until next year and that has set off a political battle in Washington. The plan would delay key reforms in dairy pricing programs.

These were some of the voices in the news this week.

The House Agriculture committee has adopted a plan that allows farmers to purchase a special insurance policy that would reimburse them whenever milk prices dropped below the cost of production. The bill also cuts the Food Stamp program by $16 billion over the next 10 years.

All three members of Vermont's congressional delegation say it's critical to include a new dairy pricing system in the 2012 Farm bill.

Vermont's congressional delegation is hailing U.S. Senate passage of a five-year farm bill that includes a major revamping of dairy price support programs.

The U.S. Senate has just started a lengthy debate over a new Farm bill - a process that happens every five years. The proposal cuts current spending levels by roughly $24 billion over the next ten years and the plan also includes a new way to protect dairy farmers from wild swings in milk prices.

Senator Patrick Leahy is optimistic that the new 5 year federal Farm Bill will include several provisions to help small dairy farmers stay in business. One provision will allow farmers to purchase insurance that will guarantee that they'll be able to recoup their production costs.