A new farm bill comes before Congress only every five years. In the past, this significant legislation too often catered to the interests of powerful agribusiness, offering generous subsidies to wealthy farmers who didn't need them.

We hope this won't be the case again, but it's hard to know for sure, because those drafting the bill haven't divulged details. That will no doubt change soon, as the bill is likely to go to the congressional deficit supercommittee, which has a Nov. 23 deadline.

The impact of the farm bill isn't limited to farmers. The nation's food supply is at stake, which is why Americans should demand more transparency in the process.

Instead, a group of congressional negotiators that includes Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., has been writing the bill behind closed doors.

Our country's obesity epidemic, concerns about food safety and the need for sustainable agriculture make this bill all the more critical.

First Lady Michelle Obama has led an admirable campaign for healthful food, but Congress needs do more, too, by framing a farm bill that emphasizes good nutrition while also reining in spending.

President Obama has tried previously to slash outrageous subsidies, as did former President George W. Bush, but lawmakers didn't have the backbone to support those efforts.

Because of the sputtering economy, Obama renewed his effort, and this time, GOP leader Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who heads the House Budget Committee, joined in the call to cut waste.

Americans don't want a farm bill that's business as usual. A Gallup poll showed that nearly 45 percent of Americans think farm aid is unnecessary.

They want Congress to live up to its pledge to write a bill that cuts $23 billion in farm subsidies over the next decade.

The subsidies program was started decades ago with the best of intentions to help Depression-era farmers. Farming was different then. Instead of huge corporate operations, most farms were family-owned.

Over the years, the subsidies spiraled out of control, with a seemingly endless amount of unnecessary costly payouts that included direct payments, crop insurance, low-cost loans and other benefits.

Instead of helping family farmers, the money was lining the pockets of the wealthy and people who didn't even grow crops.

More than half of the direct payments go to farmers with annual incomes of $100,000 or higher, according to the White House.

It's time for this to stop, and a deficit-minded Congress should get on board. But Americans would be foolish to expect lawmakers to buckle significantly, given their agricultural constituencies.

The next farm bill should also give greater priority to enhancing public health through quality food production. Instead of cutting conservation efforts, farmers should be required to maintain high environmental standards before reaping agricultural benefits from the government.

Congress shouldn't reward farmers whose poor environmental stewardship contributes to the destruction of America's natural resources. Minnesotans need not look any further than their own Lake Pepin to see the negative and costly impact that some farming methods can have.

The last farm bill paid lip service to reforming out-of-control subsidies. In our nation's recovering economy, Congress shouldn't allow that to happen again.

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