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U.S. House agriculture committee hears from Minnesotans on next farm bill

REDWOOD FALLS — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee fielded comments and concerns about the next farm bill from more than 50 Minnesotans on Thursday.

The hearing, held during Farmfest, drew discussion over several agricultural issues, policies and funding for farming and nutrition programs.

Eleven members of the agricultural committee — including Minnesota congressional members Tim Walz, Tom Emmer and Rick Nolan — attended the listening session to hear what Minnesotans wanted in the 2018 farm bill.

As for what goes in the legislation, Minnesotans in attendance had their own ideas.

Many issues of discussion centered on potential components like crop insurance, food stamps and organic farming. Other topics included the importance of trade, immigrant workers and agricultural opportunities for youth.

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Here's what Minnesotans had to say to committee members about the 2018 farm bill.

Crop insurance

Bruce Peterson, a board member with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, stressed the importance of sufficient crop insurance to the committee.

"All I can say is please protect it, it's so vitally important to … young farmers," he said.

Peterson, who farms in Northfield, recently had his own farmland damaged by hail.

Having crop insurance helped prevent him from losing profits, he said.

"You never really know what you're going to get," he said.

Kevin Paap, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau, agreed and said there needs to be better financial safeguards for unpredictable weather.

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"We can't control the weather, we've got to have risk management tools in the farm bill," Paap said.

Food stamp cuts

A recurring concern throughout the hearing focused on a nutritional component of the farm bill: food stamps.

Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper said any attempt to remove SNAP benefits from the farm bill would harm state residents.

Nearly 12 percent of Minnesota's population, or 645,000 people, currently receive SNAP benefits, Piper said, many of whom are disabled or elderly.

"We know that taking SNAP out of the farm bill as has been considered in the past would separate the farmer from the hungry ... and do a disservice to all," she said.

Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said the program also aids those affected when unemployment rates rise, adding that SNAP is "essential to the recovery of Minnesotans."

Aiding organic farmers

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Organic crop production issues prompted some speakers to call for federal aid.

"U.S. consumers are demanding more organic food, and have driven the U.S. organic market by 10 percent annually since 2002, reaching $47 billion in organics sales," said Kate Mendenhall, director of the Organic Farmers Association.

But slowed domestic production has required farmers to fill increased demand with organic imports rather than homegrown crops, Mendenhall said.

"This situation's led to a massive increase in questionable imports," said Jim Riddle, Winona resident and steering committee chair of the Organic Farmers Association.

To encourage more domestic organic production, Riddle said the farm bill should establish a safety net of financial and technical support to ease the transition for farmers wanting to convert.

"A level playing field is needed so that transition to organic is a production choice, not an increased risk," he said.

Trade and workforce needs

Bill Post, a dairy farmer from southwest Minnesota, emphasized the need for foreign trade.

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Mexico is a major milk buyer, Post said, and a potential border wall would impede both trade and labor force.

"If we don't have trade we're going to lose our markets for the milk," he said.

Many dairy farms would suffer a shortage of immigrant workers as well, Post said.

There's also a need for policies to help draw more youth to agricultural careers, said Katie Benson, state president of Minnesota Future Farmers of America.

"We would like to see in the 2018 farm bill legislation that creates a position in the United States Department of Agriculture for a youth in agriculture coordinator that helps to bridge that gap between the students and all of these agricultural careers," she said.

Closing remarks

Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, said he hopes to have the farm bill finished by the end of the year.

But making a decision on what to include in the bill will be difficult, he said, considering conflicting testimonies voiced during the hearing.

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"We're going to fold all of those into the effort that we'll make in trying to get this new farm bill done," Conaway said.

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