Every year during National Ag Week, we put a special spotlight on the incredible men and women who keep us fed, fueled, and clothed – our hardworking farm and ranch families across this great nation.
To our farmers and ranchers – we thank you, today and every day for your tireless efforts!
This year, we want to take a moment to not only highlight some of our amazing farmers and ranchers but also share the key message they’ve brought to Capitol Hill this spring: we need a strong, new Farm Bill NOW!
Today, despite ongoing discussions and debates, there has not been movement on a new Farm Bill in the 119th Congress. Farmers and ranchers across the country have voiced their concerns, testifying multiple times before the House and Senate Agriculture Committees since the start of the year.
Their message reinforces what other agriculture leaders, stakeholders, and reporters are sharing: America’s farmers and ranchers are struggling. And while ad hoc assistance has been helpful, it can only go so far. America’s farm families need the support that only a strong, robust, five-year Farm Bill can provide.
Here’s what some of them had to say:
“We have all heard the saying, ‘hope is not a strategy.’ Today, I urge you to deliver a new Farm Bill so we no longer have to hope but rather know we can keep doing what we love and enjoy – farming, providing food for our fellow man.” – Jennifer James, Arkansas Rice Farmer and USA Rice Board member
“Growers are very proud to bring in a crop like this. But pride does not pay the bills. We know that weakening sugar prices relative to persistently high costs of production are unsustainable.” – Tim Deal, Minnesota Sugarbeet Farmer
“Disaster and economic assistance have been a lifeline, bridging short-term gaps for farmers, many of whom would not otherwise have been able to continue farming – and we thank [Congress] for that. However, we need to move beyond short-term ad hoc relief – farmers desperately need the improved long-term stability only a multi-year farm bill provides – with predictability and certainty for producers and lenders alike.” – Amy France, National Sorghum Producers Chairwoman (read more from Amy here)
Across party lines, Members of Congress have also shared this sentiment.
“My highest priority for the next Farm Bill is to improve the farm safety net, whereby every farmer in every region of the country will have access to modernized risk management tools regardless of the commodity they grow. If we fail to modernize the safety net, agriculture will see further consolidation as farm families leave the business, and the ripple effects to our country will be profound.” – Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR)
“Our nation’s farmers continue to produce the world’s safest and most abundant food supply. We know that our farmers take on significant risks and operate on razor-thin margins to feed America and the world, and it is our job to make sure that continues.” – Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
“If we wait any longer than June to get this Farm Bill done, I’m going to have to go back to leadership – I’m absolutely convinced in December, I’ll be begging for more economic relief. Our farmers don’t want that. They want this Farm Bill.” – House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA)
“Farmers need a new farm bill to provide some semblance of stability for their businesses and their families – one that strengthens the farm safety net, cuts red tape and provides opportunities for new and beginning farmers.” – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN)
During National Ag Week – and every week – we must remember that when it comes to the federal budget, there is no better investment than smart farm policy. Cuts to the farm safety net hurt our farmers and our country’s food security, which is why Congress must strengthen the farm safety net in the next Farm Bill as soon as possible.
John Newton, Executive Head of Terrain, put it into perspective in his recent testimony before the House Agriculture Committee: “With nearly 350 million people in the U.S. (hopefully consuming three meals per day), the cost of critical farm risk management and conservation programs is less than 8 cents per meal. Ask anyone in America if they would pay 8 cents per meal to ensure a safe, abundant, sustainable and affordable food supply. The answer will be a resounding yes.”
A worthy investment indeed. From all of us at Farm Policy Facts, we want to offer a sincere thank you to the hardworking farmers and ranchers who roll up their sleeves, and work sunup to sundown each day to get the job done.
Happy National Ag Week!
Need a Farm Bill refresher? Find a high-level, title-by-title history and overview of this crucial piece of legislation that impacts every American, from the field to the dinner plate here. Plus, learn about agricultural policy straight from America’s heartland on the Groundwork podcast.