Can you
believe it!? A LONG overdue Farm Bill has been approved in the House of
Representatives and now moves on for approval from the Senate and then
eventually onto the President’s desk for his signature. The Farm Bill has been
on the minds of many farmers and ranchers for the last couple of years, and any
time it seemed like progress could be made, it got derailed by partisanship.
Now with a
new Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers will have certainty of what programs they can expect
from the government over next five years. Many farm organizations supported the
bill with a few groups in opposition. Many of the groups that supported the
bill supported the reforms to safety net programs as well as the investment in
Ag research and renewable energy. Those that opposed the bill were unhappy that
the COOL measure (Country of Origin Labeling) was still part of the new Farm
Bill. They cite that the COOL measure is not compliant with the World Trade
Organization’s rules and regulations. Because of that it could cause conflict
with some of our trading partners, such as Canada and Mexico.
Although the
passage of the Farm Bill in the House has led to the feeling of accomplishment
by some, it makes me wonder what future Farm Bills will be like. It took nearly
three years for Congress to finally reach an agreement on the new Farm Bill.
That was three years of partisanship between two parties who couldn’t seem to
find common ground. Instead of doing what was right for America’s hardworking
farmers and ranchers as well as ALL
Americans, congress put its party and ideology first. So far partisanship in
Washington has only grown worse and makes me ask what it will be like when the
new Farm Bill expires. If it took nearly three years to pass this bill, will it
take even longer for the next one? Will congress kick the livelihoods of
farmers and ranchers around like a soccer ball until something disastrous
happens and forces them to do something? Will urban congressional delegates
become even more out of touch with America’s agriculture industry? These are
questions I keep asking myself and I think others need to consider as well.
While we can
consider the new Farm Bill an accomplishment, we still have not accomplished
showing those in Washington how important working together is and the impact
their policies can have on the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers. All of
us involved in producing a safe and abundant supply of food need to continue to
educate those who represent us in Washington as well as the general public. We
also have to stand up for what we believe in and not let those who do not
understand what we do determine our future. America’s agriculturalists are some
of the hardest working people in our country who love what they do, which is
growing food for the nation and world. So let’s consider the passage of the new
Farm Bill an accomplishment but realize we as an industry still have a lot
to accomplish in the years ahead!
