Farmers voice their opinions on Farm Bill

(ABC 6 News) – The 2018 Farm Bill is set to expire on September 20, later this year.

Monday, U.S. Congressman Brad Finstad’s team held the first of 21 listening sessions in district one, in Dodge Center. Their goal is to learn what farmers like in the Farm Bill and ways Congress can improve it.

Even before the listening session started, district outreach representative, Keith Allen, was shooting the brave with farmers in attendance. He says that early findings show that farmers are generally happy with the bill.

“Farmers are no different than anyone else, they’re looking for consistency and certainty when it comes to rules,” Allen said. “A lot of them want the existing rules to stay in place, with maybe some small modifications.”

Some of the modifications include keeping insurance titles separate from conservation programs.

One area of improvement that came up a few times during the session is the need for faster access to medical services. Some recalling accidents resulting in death due to slow response times.

The Farm Bill consists of 12 titles, covering conservation, nutrition, and rural development to name a few.

According to the congressional budget office, the 2023 farm bill could potentially be the first trillion-dollar farm bill in history.

While the turnout for today’s session was on the small side, Allens recalls seeing some of the farmers at previous meetings.

“Agriculture gets straight to the point,” Allen said. “They’re very direct and usually when they speak, they speak with a unified voice which is really great to hear.”

If you have ideas for the 2023 Farm Bill, you are encouraged to reach out to your local representative’s office.