Walz Brings Madelia Farmer to Agriculture Field Hearing in Sioux Falls

Press Release

Today, Rep. Walz and Madelia farmer Matt Wolle participated in a field hearing held by the House Agriculture Committee. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit input from farmers before drafting a 2012 Farm Bill. Walz also told the Committee he believes as they begin their work on the new farm bill, they need to consider the impact the federal debt will have on future generations

"As we begin our work on the new farm bill, we need to make smarter and better targeted investments that provides a strong safety net for our producers and fosters a stronger rural economy," said Congressman Walz. "Agriculture is absolutely critical to our rural economies and communities. I was pleased that Matt Wolle was able to join me to talk about the importance of getting younger producers involved in agriculture. As we target the growing national debt we need to make sure that our investments are producing good outcomes. Today's hearing was focused on hearing what's working well and what we'll need to address as we craft the next farm bill.

Rep. Walz invited Mr. Wolle to give his perspective on programs created in the 2008 Farm Bill for beginning farmers and ranchers and to offer his advice for improving those programs in the future.

"I want to thank Congressman Walz for inviting me to participate in today's hearing and for his work to assist young people who want to get involved in agriculture," said Matt Wolle, a corn, soybean and livestock farmer near Madelia. "With an aging population of farmers, I believe, now more than ever we need to make sure that we make smarter investments to assist a younger generation who want to get involved in agriculture. The 2008 farm bill made some great progress. I look forward to working with Congressman Walz and others to further strengthen the legislation to ensure that we maintain access to a safe, affordable and high quality food supply in this country."

Congressman Walz is a member of the House Agriculture Committee. This summer, the Committee will hold multiple field hearings across America to hear from farmers and ranchers about how farm legislation impacts their work.

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