Valuable Farm Bill Listening Sessions

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, over the course of the summer, I was able to join some farm bill listening sessions with Chairman Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson. These sessions were titled ``The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,'' and they allowed committee members to gather input directly from farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders across the country.

As the House Agriculture Committee works to craft the next farm bill, these listening sessions have allowed us to hear firsthand from those who are directly impacted by the farm bill. They provide us with real world examples of what is working and what isn't.

With farmers in every region of this country, we heard many different perspectives. This feedback will help us write the best legislation possible.

Now, my schedule permitted me to attend listening sessions in Gainesville, Florida; San Angelo, Texas; and Decatur, Illinois. I also hosted a listening session in my own district. Our ``Barnyard Discussion'' at Penn State's Ag Progress Days focused on issues driving the state of agriculture in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I was joined by my Democratic colleague, Congressman Dwight Evans of Philadelphia; as well as Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Reading; and Rick Ebert, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

We heard from a variety of stakeholders, including those from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, the Center for Dairy Excellence, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is Pennsylvania's largest outdoor agricultural expo. Proudly, there are numerous opportunities for attendees to hear from their State and Federal lawmakers about regulations, policies, and government programs through various events and exhibits.

The Barnyard Discussion is an annual event for me and, in the same fashion, as the committee's listening session, it allows me to hear how our Federal policies are working for those who are directly impacted by these decisions. Producers from across the Commonwealth flock to Pennsylvania Furnace for the 3-day event that features the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.
This year marked the 42nd year, and it is one of only three agriculture exhibitions in the country to be sponsored by a major university. I especially enjoyed the Barnyard Discussion, and I gathered excellent insight about the challenges and successes facing the agriculture industry.

These sessions were particularly important to me, as chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, because Federal nutrition programs are vital to ensuring that all Americans have access to healthy foods, especially our low-income populations, the elderly, and those living in areas with strained access to nutritious foods, or what we call food deserts.

Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--or SNAP--support agriculture and lessen the effects of poverty on our most vulnerable citizens.

As we begin to work on the next farm bill, we will continue to identify ways--through Federal, State and local programs--to provide safe and nutritious food for those who need it most. Gathering feedback from Americans who farm every corner of this Nation is essential as we work to construct the next farm bill. I am grateful to all those who shared their stories and their insights with us.

Our farmers feed. They are the stewards of our land, and their insights are invaluable to the Agriculture Committee.

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