Post Bulletin: Southern Minnesota's congressional delegation on Farm Bill

The Post Bulletin's Ed Felker has the scoop on the response of Southern Minnesota's leaders on the Farm Bill in Delegation pleased with Farm Bill programs  Here's Walz's reaction:

. . .Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, saw three priorities included in the bill, including his top measure, a new pilot program to let farmers switch acres to fruit and vegetable programs without permanently losing their eligibility under traditional crop subsidy programs.

The Farm Flex program language would target four or more Midwestern states, though the final details were still uncertain. Walz also won provisions to streamline the enrollment of organic farm acres into federal conservation programs and, with Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., incentives for landowners to rent or sell to beginning farmers and ranchers.

Walz, in a statement, said he was excited to see the bill moving forward after months of deal making. "This bill makes important new investments in nutrition, conservation, rural development and energy programs, and continues to provide a farm safety net that kicks in when crop prices are low, and tapers off when crop prices are high," he said. . . .

Representative Kline is preparing a statement for when the bill comes up next week. Senators Klobucahr and Coleman, both Senate Ag Committee members, support the bill; Coleman

previously said he would work to round up votes to override a veto, and reiterated that stance Thursday. "This process has been about compromise from day one, and the bipartisan agreement reached by the conference committee is a bill that for America that contains significant reforms all sides can agree on," Coleman said in a statement.

A companion article by PB reporter Laura Gossman, Farmers, food banks want farm bill passed soon, looks at local reaction. A couple of responses to the President's veto threat:

Minnesota Farm Bureau president Kevin Paap, a farmer from Blue Earth, thinks the bill fairly balances nutrition, conservation and farm programs.

He's more worried about what might happen if the bill doesn't pass.

"If the bill doesn't pass, there's no Plan B," Paap said. "We need to move on this so we can provide some long-term certainty for our farmers." . . .

Two-thirds of the legislation involves boosts to nutrition programs that benefit food banks.

"We rely on federal foods to feed people in our communities," said Charla Irwin-Buncher, communications director for Channel One Food Bank in Rochester. "It's especially crucial right now because more and more people are in need of our services."

In April, 250 new Olmsted County families started using Channel One, Irwin-Buncher said.

. . ."Every day that goes by is a day that we are being withheld food we could be using," Irwin-Buncher said. "The farm bill has to be passed."

Irwin-Buncher's opinion provides a sharp contrast with mindless pundits who bitch about the bill and hunger.