California was host to a farm bill listening session on Saturday, August 5 in Modesto at the Modesto Junior College Ag Pavilion. The House Committee on Agriculture has labeled the sessions “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field”.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway said, “with the farm economy in its worst slide since the Great Depression, producers in every region of the country have important perspectives about what is and isn’t working in agricultural policy. I’m looking forward to taking what we heard in Florida and adding new perspectives as we travel across the country to ensure we craft the strong farm bill our country deserves.”
The listening sessions are designed to gather feedback from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders on the efficacy of current farm programs and where improvements need to be made.
Ranking Member Collin Peterson noted that “these listening sessions are a continuation of the Committee’s review of farm bill programs and I’m looking forward to hearing directly from farmers and others impacted by the farm bill. Real world examples of what is, and maybe isn’t, working will help better inform Committee members when we begin the task of writing a new farm bill.”
Speakers from across the country presented their thoughts and suggestion to the committee during the 2 1/2 hour listening session Saturday morning. Topics covered every aspect of farming with an emphasis on trade funding. You can listen to the entire session below.
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 1
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 1
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 2
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 2
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 3
Farm Bill Listening Session Hour 3