It’s no secret that America’s farm and ranch families are facing a myriad of challenges, and with no end in sight for Farm Bill negotiations, many have begun to wonder, where do we go from here?
In our latest Groundwork podcast, we reflect on lessons learned from past Farm Bills and take a look at some of the key issues and potential solutions to the current legislative logjam.
Our guest, Collin Peterson, former Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, is no stranger to the world of politics and farm policy. He is well-versed in agriculture and the American political system, having grown up on a farm and later serving Minnesota’s 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years.
During this time, Chairman Peterson was instrumental in the writing and passage of four Farm Bills, the last of which was the 2018 Farm Bill, which is set to expire on September 30, 2024 after it was already extended once in 2023. Chairman Peterson recently joined us on the Groundwork podcast to provide a historical perspective on the Farm Bill – and where we can go from here.
Chairman Peterson highlighted the importance of the Farm Bill, noting the “very risky” nature of farming as a career, as well as the value of America’s strong farm policy for all farm and ranch families: “In my opinion, without the Farm Bill – without crop insurance and the kind of under-shoring of the system – you would end up with an agriculture [sector] that looks like Argentina or Brazil, where only the guys with deep pockets will be able to farm,” he said.
“That’s why agriculture in the United States is so successful, because we’ve got all the ordinary people out there farming, who do as good a job or better than anybody in the world.”
Chairman Peterson added that the next Farm Bill must make improvements to the farm safety net to better reflect what producers are facing: “[The current farm safety net is] probably not adequate, given where we’re heading. It looks like we’re heading into some tough times.”
Key financial experts and grower leaders recently testified before the House Agriculture Committee about the tough times on the horizon for farm country.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that agriculture has continued to grow and American farmers have maintained a plentiful and diverse food supply for decades, some critics of farm policy still have concerns about our farm safety net.
A common misconception about farm policy is the cost of the farm safety net, even though it costs about 0.2% of the federal budget to sustain and assist the most safe, abundant, and affordable food supply in the world. A worthy investment? Absolutely!
The fact is, American agriculture not only meets the needs of families across the nation and the world, but it’s also a source of economic and cultural wealth for our nation. Chairman Peterson encouraged growers to make their voices heard with their congressional representatives. Rural America needs a Farm Bill now. We cannot wait any longer.
To hear more in-depth thoughts and insights from Chairman Peterson, check out the full episode of Groundwork here.