After passing through Congress with overwhelming support this week, the new farm bill, which includes support for the maple sugaring industry, dairy farmers, organic farms, and hemp cultivation, is on its way to be signed by President Donald Trump.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who worked for months to negotiate the new bill, said in a statement he was glad both chambers of Congress had come together to pass a bill that will help people across the country.

“This is a Farm Bill that will provide certainty to the nation’s struggling farmers; maintain food security for millions of American families; provide for cleaner waterways, better soils, protected open space, healthier forests, and the preservation of family farms; make our drinking water safer; and give communities across rural America a much needed economic boost,” Leahy said.

After the Senate passed the bill Tuesday night, the lower chamber followed suit on Wednesday with overwhelming support. The House voted 369-47 for the legislation after the Senate approved it 87-13.

The farm bill is expected to cost $867 billion as it sets agriculture subsidies for the next five years, with the majority being spent on programs that guarantee insurance for farmers and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the program that feeds about 42 million Americans each year, with an average cost of $1.86 per meal, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The 807-page bill also offers improved crop insurance access for established farmers as well as beginner farmers and offers financial assistance for farmers transitioning from conventional to organic farming — it also quadruples federal investment for organic research.

The bill, titled the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, reauthorizes support systems for agricultural producers, including federal crop insurance and farm commodity programs that provide financial support for farmers.

In an interview with VTDigger, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said passing the bill gives stability to farmers in Vermont and across the country for the next five years.

Welch said the dairy farm insurance program in the bill will bring better coverage at a better price and will benefit smaller dairy farms of 250 cows or less that are “hanging on by their fingernails.”

“Times are so tough for dairy. Even with this help I remain concerned and I believe we need a supply management program,” Welch said. “But this improvement in the margin protection program is going to provide money in the pocket for farmers.”

The bill exempts pure maple syrup and honey from the FDA’s added sugar label — something which the Vermont delegation worked hard to make sure was included in the final language of the bill.

Welch called the FDA’s added sugar label a “witless” idea and said he was immensely pleased maple syrup is exempt from this labeling.

“That could be have been a death blow for us,” Welch said.

The bill also ends the federal prohibition on hemp production.

Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts said he thinks hemp production is a promising area of expansion for Vermont agriculture and its legalization will open up new opportunities for Vermont farmers.

“I think we’re at the beginning of this whole thing and there is tremendous potential,” Tebbetts said. “With that cloud gone, I think the headline out of that will be that some folks in the lending and insurance business will feel comfortable working with those people to put more money out into the landscape and it will help.”

In a statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., said that though it was not the bill he would have authored, it does contain several victories for Vermonters. Sanders also said he was happy the bill includes nutrition assistance provisions for SNAP recipients.

“I am glad that we were able to pass a bill today that includes many positive provisions for our farmers,” Sanders said.

The bill is now on its way to the White House, and Trump is expected to sign it without the theatrics which have marred the past few days in the capital as the government nears the deadline for a partial shutdown.

On Tuesday, Trump said the farm bill “is in very good shape” and that “farmers are well taken care of.”