"A step in the right direction" is how Washington wheat farmer Nicole Berg described movement in Congress toward a new farm bill.
Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and House Ag Chair Glenn "G.T." Thompson, R-Pa., released legislative summaries for their proposals for a new farm bill May 1.
kAmQx E9:?< :EVD A@D:E:G6 ?6HD[ H:E9 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 >@G6>6?E 7@CH2C5[Q q6C8 E@=5 E96 r2A:E2= !C6DD] k^Am
kAm%96 !2E6CD@?[ (2D9][ 72C>6C :D E96 ?2E:@?2= 4@>>:EE66 492:C 7@C (2D9:?8E@? pDD@4:2E:@? @7 (962E vC@H6CD]k^Am
kAm$E236?@H C6A@CE65=J 9@A6D E@ >66E 7@C 7FCE96C 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 367@C6 E96 w@FD6 >2C<D FA 2 5C27E @7 E96 3:== :? |2J[ q6C8 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%92EVD <:?5 @7 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 >@G6 E@ D66 6I24E=J 9@H E96 Vu@FC r@C?6CDV 2C6 8@:?8 E@ H@C< E@86E96C[Q D96 D2:5] %96 u@FC r@C?6CD 2C6 E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 28 492:CD 2?5 E96 4@>>:EE66DV C2?<:?8 >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmQ%96 H962E :?5FDECJ =@@<D 7@CH2C5 E@ H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 u@FC r@C?6CD[Q q6C8 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 8C62E E@ D66 AC@8C6DD 36:?8 >256 @? 2 =@?8\E6C> 72C> 3:==[Q }p(v AC6D:56?E z6677 u6=EJ D2:5 :? 2 AC6DD C6=62D6] Q$:?46 :56?E:7J:?8 @FC 72C> 3:== AC:@C:E:6D :? yF?6 a_aa[ }p(v 92D 25G@42E65 7@C 2 DEC@?8 4C@A D276EJ ?6E[ H9:49 AC@E64ED 4C@A :?DFC2?46 2?5 H@C<D E@ 6?92?46 E96 %:E=6 x AC@8C2>D 2?5 4C@A :?DFC2?46]Qk^Am
kAm%:E=6 x :?4=F56D 4@>>@5:EJ AC@8C2>D DF49 2D !C:46 {@DD r@G6C286[ p8C:4F=EFC6 #:D< r@G6C286 2?5 E96 |2C<6E:?8 pDD:DE2?46 {@2? !C@8C2>]k^Am
kAmQpD E96 AC@46DD 4@?E:?F6D[ H6 FC86 E96 u@FC r@C?6CD E@ H@C< E@86E96C E@ A2DD 2 3:== E92E 42? A2DD 3@E9 492>36CD 2?5 86E D:8?65 :?E@ =2H 367@C6 E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C[” u6=EJ D2:5]k^Am
k9bmq667k^9bm
kAmtE92? {2?6[ G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2772:CD 7@C E96 }2E:@?2= r2EE=6>6?VD q667 pDD@4:2E:@?[ D2:5 96 H2D A=62D65 H:E9 E96 7C2>6H@C< C6=62D65 3J E96 w@FD6 p8 r@>>:EE66]k^Am
kAmQ$:?46 a_ab[ r92:C>2? %9@>AD@? 92D 8@?6 E@ 8C62E =6?8E9D E@ >66E H:E9 p>6C:42’D 42EE=6 AC@5F46CD :? 6G6CJ C68:@? @7 E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 4C27E 2 72C> 3:== E92E DFAA@CED E96:C F?:BF6 ?665D[Q {2?6 D2:5 :? 2 AC6DD C6=62D6] Q(6 2C6 6DA64:2==J A=62D65 3J E96 492:C>2?’D 7@4FD @? G@=F?E2CJ 4@?D6CG2E:@? AC@8C2>D E92E 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J A@AF=2C H:E9 42EE=6 AC@5F46CD[ 2?:>2= 962=E9 AC@G:D:@?D E92E AC@E64E E96 &]$] 42EE=6 96C5 2?5 :?G6DE>6?ED :? 7@@5 D64FC:EJ E92E DFAA@CE @FC 3C@256C ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ]Qk^Am
kAmw6 H2D =6DD E92? 8=@H:?8 :? 9:D 2DD6DD>6?E @7 E96 $6?2E6VD H@C<]k^Am
kAm“&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 $6?2E6 p8C:4F=EFC6 r@>>:EE66 >2;@C:EJ 92D 72:=65 E@ 6?8286 :? E96 D2>6 =6G6= @7 @FEC6249 E@ C62= 42EE=6 AC@5F46CD[ 2?5 E96:C 7C2>6H@C< C67=64ED E92E =24< @7 AC@5F46C :?AFE[Q {2?6 D2:5] Q(9:=6 E96C6 2C6 D@>6 3:A2CE:D2? 6=6>6?ED E@ E96 $6?2E6 AC@A@D2=[ E96C6 2C6 >2?J AC@G:D:@?D H9:49 H@F=5 36 92C>7F= E@ =:G6DE@4< AC@5F46CD]Q k^Am
k9bmu2C> 8C@FADk^9bm
kAmQ%96D6 2C6 4C:E:42= 7:CDE DE6AD :? A2DD:?8 2 72C> 3:== E92E DEC6?8E96?D E96 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD @7 p>6C:42’D 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD[ 3@=DE6CD CFC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 AC@G:56D 2446DD E@ 7@@5 7@C E9@D6 :? ?665[Q r9F4< r@??6C[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 }2E:@?2= r@F?4:= @7 u2C>6C r@@A6C2E:G6D[ D2:5 :? 2 AC6DD C6=62D6] Qq@E9 7C2>6H@C<D 2=D@ :?4=F56 D6G6C2= AC@G:D:@?D E92E 92G6 366? AC:@C:E:6D 7@C 72C>6C 4@\@AD 2?5 E96:C AC@5F46C\@H?6CD :? E96 72C> 3:==]Q k^Am
kAm%96 p>6C:42? u2C> qFC62F 2=D@ 2AA=2F565 E96 4@>>:EE66DV >@G6>6?E]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ D66 3@E9 AC@A@D2=D 24<?@H=6586 E92E AC@8C2>D 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ FD6 C6BF:C6 255:E:@?2= :?G6DE>6?E :? E96 7246 @7 72==:?8 4@>>@5:EJ AC:46D 2?5 :?4C62D65 :?7=2E:@?[Q u2C> qFC62F AC6D:56?E +:AAJ sFG2== D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] Qp?5 3@E9 AC@A@D2=D C64@8?:K6 E96 :>A@CE2?E C@=6 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD A=2J :? AC@E64E:?8 @FC =2?5[ H2E6C 2?5 2:C E9C@F89 G@=F?E2CJ[ H@C<:?8 =2?5D 4@?D6CG2E:@? AC@8C2>D]Qk^Am