|
July 1, 2022
Dear John,
From Farm to Roundtable
This week, South Dakota’s agriculture communities got to show off. I hosted the Republican leader on the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman “GT” Thompson from Pennsylvania, and introduce him to the wonderful people of South Dakota. We closed off June Dairy Month with a celebration at Valley Queen and at the Holstein Association USA’s National Convention.
We’re diving into Farm Bill discussions on the Ag Committee – no better way than meeting with boots on the ground to do so. Ranking Member Thompson and I had a busy day. From checking out a quarter scale tractor at SDSU that won the International Quarter Scale Tractor Student Design Competition to bottle feeding calves – South Dakotans gave him a warm welcome.
Once Ranking Member Thompson arrived, our first stop was meeting with SDSU President Barry Dunn at the university’s Raven Precision Agriculture Center. As a land grant university, SDSU depends on state and federal funding to be a competitive research university. Research from land grant universities spurs innovation in agriculture, creating new and improved technologies and practices for agriculturalists and beyond.
Our next stop was a farm in Bridgewater to hear from agriculture member organizations like S.D. Corn and S.D. Cattlemen’s Association. We discussed their priorities and the roadmap for crafting the next Farm Bill that will be completed next year. Farm Bill discussions in the Ag Committee have already started, and hearing from the folks on the ground that will be impacted by our decisions is critical to ensure the Farm Bill addresses the needs of our agriculturalists.
Our final visit was the Holstein Association USA's national convention. Ranking Member Thompson and I spoke with dairy farmers about the next Farm Bill, the dairy industry's efforts in carbon capture technology, and school nutrition policies, including milk in schools. Their thoughts echoed discussions that we have had over and over again in the House Agriculture Committee—our farmers are committed to reducing their environmental impact and produce products that are safe and healthy for the consumer.
I had a great time showing off South Dakota to Ranking Member Thompson. We are looking forward to continue working together to craft a Farm Bill that addresses the needs of our producers.
Click here or the picture below to listen to our roundtable with producers.
|
