Central Washington
Farm
Bill
Tour
This
week,
I
traveled
up
and
down
the
4th
Congressional
District
to
hear
about
Central
Washington's
agricultural
priorities
for
the
upcoming
Farm
Bill.
The
Farm
Bill
is
an
extremely
important
piece
of
legislation
that
covers
everything
from
trade,
research,
and
conservation
to
nutrition
programs
like
SNAP
and
crop
insurance.
Congress
only
reauthorizes
the
Farm
Bill
every
five
years,
so
we
have
been
working
hard
to
make
sure
we
get
it
right. Learn
more
about
the
Farm
Bill
here.
First
Stop:
East
Wenatchee

To
kick
off
the
tour,
I
met
with
farmers
and
farm
groups
from
Douglas
County
to
hear
about
the
importance
of
crop
insurance
and
the
negative
effects
of
overbearing
federal
regulations.
We
also
discussed
how
important
it
is
to
educate
the
public
about
farming
and
where
our
food
comes
from,
so
future
generations
can
appreciate
the
agricultural
industry.
Click
here
to
watch
iFiberOne's
coverage
of
the
meeting.
Second
Stop:
Pateros

Next,
I
sought
input
from
Okanogan
County
farmers
in
Pateros.
In
addition
to
the
topics
of
crop
insurance,
a
solution
for
DACA,
and
the
critical
importance
of
preserving
our
Columbia
River
dams,
I
heard
about
the
priority
of
international
marketing
programs
like
the
Market
Access
Program
(MAP),
Foreign
Market
Development
(FMD)
Program,
and
Technical
Assistance
for
Specialty
Crops
(TASC).
These
programs
are
essential
for
farmers,
like
apple
growers
in
light
trade,
to
help
build
up
markets.
Earlier
this
Congress,
I
introduced
H.R.
2321,
the
CREAATE
Act,
which
reauthorizes
and
doubles
the
funding
for
MAP
and
FMD.
Click
here
to
read
more
about
the
CREAATE
Act.
Washington
is
the
most
trade-reliant
state
in
the
nation,
and
we
must
be
able
to
promote
and
export
our
products
around
the
world.
I
have
sent
several
letters
to
President
Trump,
U.S.
Trade
Representative
Lighthizer,
and
USDA
Secretary
Perdue
emphasizing
the
importance
of
trade
to
jobs
in
Washington
state,
the
potential
negative
effects
a
global
trade
war
would
create,
and
the
continuation
of
NAFTA
and
other
bilateral
agreements
like
KORUS.
Third
Stop:
Prosser

On
the
third
stop
in
Prosser,
folks
from
Benton,
Franklin,
and
Walla
Walla
Counties
shared
similar
thoughts
with
me
about
marketing
our
agricultural
goods
and
making
sure
that
farmers
have
access
to
water
by
preserving
our
dams.
We
also
discussed
the
importance
of
agricultural
research,
which
is
a
large
aspect
of
the
Farm
Bill.
We
must
make
sure
that
the
industry
is
operating
on
the
best
science
available.
The Consolidated
Appropriations
Act
of
2018,
also
known
as
the
"Omnibus
spending
bill"
that
was
signed
into
law
on
March
23,
included
several
provisions
I
advocated
for
to
provide
research
funding
for
hops,
alfalfa,
potatoes,
grape
varietals,
and
wheat
falling
numbers.
Appropriating
these
funds
through
the
Omnibus
potentially
alleviates
budgetary
issues
that
may
arise
as
the
Farm
Bill
is
drafted
and
ensures
that
this
important
research
is
conducted.
I
went
Live
on
Facebook
with
Washington
Ag
Network.
Click
here
to
watch.
Fourth
Stop:
Quincy

In
Quincy,
Grant
County
farmers
shared
their
thoughts
about
the
current
H-2A
guestworker
program,
crop
insurance,
and
farming's
most
vital
resource:
water.
The
Columbia
Basin
Project
-
upon
completion
-
will
ensure
that
our
region
has
enough
water
for
farmers
to
harvest
the
billions
of
dollars
worth
of
crops
that
are
grown
here.
It
is
important
that
we
complete
this
project,
which
was
originally
authorized
by
Congress
in
1943,
in
order
to
maintain
food
security
and
economic
prosperity
in
the
Columbia
Basin
and
in
Washington
state.
Did
you
know?
Grant
County,
Washington
is
the
#1
potato-producing
county
in
the
United
States.
Fifth
Stop:
Othello

I
traveled
to
Othello,
where
Adams
County
farmers
were
eager
to
stress
the
importance
of
getting
their
goods
to
market.
Among
the
talks
of
water
availability
and
well-administered
nutrition
programs,
it
was
mentioned
that
we
need
to
ensure
the
domestic
market
is
not
overwhelmed
with
federal
regulations.
Farmers
need
to
be
able
to
distribute
their
agricultural
goods
in
the
United
States,
as
well
as
overseas.
One
example
given
was
making
it
easier
to
serve
potatoes
in
school
breakfasts
and
lunches.
I
proudly
boast
that
Central
Washington
is
in
the
business
of
feeding
the
world,
and
I
agree
that
we
can't
let
over-regulation
put
that
at
risk.
Final
Farm
Bill
Tour
Stop:
Yakima

It
was
very
helpful
to
hear
from
Yakima
farmers
on
local
priorities.
Yakima
farmers
are
focused
on
how
tree
fruit,
cattle,
and
dairy
will
be
affected
as
Farm
Bill
discussions
continue.
I
also
heard
about
the
importance
of
Bureau
of
Reclamation
projects
and
the
importance
of
water
infrastructure
development.
I
appreciate
the
input
I
received
as
Congress
continues
to
craft
the
2018
Farm
Bill.
Farming
is
a
big
part
of
the
DNA
that
shapes
Central
Washington's
economy,
and
I
look
forward
to
hearing
from
you
about
your
agricultural
priorities.
Don't
Forget:
Submit
Your
Art!

As
a
reminder,
Washington's
4th
Congressional
District
Art
Competition
is
currently
underway.
High
schools
students
in
Central
Washington
are
encouraged
to
submit
their
artwork
to
my
office.
The
winner
will
receive
a
trip
to
Washington
D.C.,
and
the
winning
entry
will
hang
in
the
U.S.
Capitol
for
one
year.
Entries
are
due
by
April
24.
Click
here
for
more
details
and
information
about
how
to
enter.
Thank
you
for
reading
this
e-news
update.
Sincerely,
Dan
Newhouse
Member
of
Congress
|