This week, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) held her first farm bill listening session in Adel as Congress begins discussions on what will be included in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Rep. Axne, who is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, was joined by USDA State Director Theresa Greenfield, State Executive Director of the Iowa FSA Matt Russell, farmers, producers and agricultural leaders from across Iowa’s Third Congressional District at the Iowa State University Extension Building at the Dallas County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, June 29.
“There’s no better group of people to discuss what should be in the next farm bill, which will be done in 2023, than a bunch of Iowans. I want to make sure I have the right information on what’s working well, what’s not working well, what programs we could tweak, where we’ve got gaps, and where you think we should expand,” said Rep. Axne. “I’m also looking for any ideas that should be in this next farm bill that we haven’t looked at before.”
Anyone who would like to share their ideas is encouraged to contact Rep. Axne by visiting Axne.House.Gov/Contact/Email-Me.
“USDA Rural Development’s mission is to support rural communities with loans and grants – to invest in community infrastructure, housing and business growth,” said USDA State Director Theresa Greenfield. “Listening and responding to rural leader’s needs is critical to creating vibrant hometowns to live, work and raise the next generation.”
“The farm bill provides critical support for Iowa farmers through a variety of safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs, many of which the Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers,” said Matt Russell, State Executive Director of the Iowa FSA. “These discussions with farmers and commodity groups are a critical part of developing and implementing a farm bill.”
This was the first of many listening sessions Rep. Axne will hold as the House Agriculture Committee begins discussions on what to include in the next farm bill, which will be up for reauthorization next September. The Agriculture Committee is also working through its review of the 2018 farm bill and has held over a dozen hearings this year on the subject.
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