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The last of four Senate Ag Committee hearings on the 2012 Farm Bill held on March 15 evaluated the need for and cost effectiveness of risk management tools available to farmers and how the federal government can provide appropriate risk management tools while making the best use of limited resources.
Here are excerpts of testimony presented during the hearing.
On March 9, House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas held a field hearing in Saranac Lake, New York. It was the first of a series to be held throughout March and April to gather input in advance of writing the 2012 Farm Bill.
Members heard testimony from producers in the northeastern United States on the future of farm policy. New York is home to a range of agricultural industries, and it is among the nation’s top producers of a variety of specialty crops and dairy products. The hearing focused on policies impacting those industries in particular.
When I was getting ready for my college graduation, I never would have guessed the journey my life would take. I guess everyone says that, but it really is true in this case.
My son Paul recently came home from a trip to Bulgaria. He has had a hard transition into American culture ever since he was a boy. He started his life on the streets of Varna, Bulgaria, where his gypsy ancestors spent their days.
I held the phone in one hand on the table and with the other propped up my forehead. Even though the receiver was an arm’s-length away from me, I could hear Paul breathing – or imagined I could – as he waited for my answer. Finally, I brought the phone back to my ear again.
Reporting to you from Juba, South Sudan, Africa …
One realization of my assignment is the number of aid organizations working here in this new country. They may be divided into three groups.
Editor's note: Penn State dairy student Hannah Wentworth will be providing monthly updates through the Progressive Dairyman Extra e-newsletter about her study abroad experience in New Zealand this spring.
Check back next month for a new column, or visit her blog at www.pafarmgirladventures.blogspot.com.
Robots enabled cows to come and go, being milked at whatever times they pleased at Stradbrook Robotic Dairy Farm in Mayfield, New Zealand.
The Senate Ag Committee held a farm bill hearing on March 7 titled “Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition.” This hearing explored innovative opportunities in agriculture through policies that assist the development of local markets for farmers – connecting them to the growing consumer demand for locally produced, healthy food options.
The following excerpt is from Val Wagner’s blog. Wagner farms with her husband and four young sons in North Dakota. http://wagfarms.com
I’ve heard a lot of talk about the #OccupyOurFoodSupply movement. I read a lot of articles on the downfall of our modern agriculture practices, the need to “get back to the basics,” and the need to reconnect to our food supply.
So I thought that instead of blaming some unknown enemy for placing my farm in a bad light, or blaming consumers for not taking the initiative to actually visit where their food comes from, I would show you, just as I have for the last year and a half.
This issue we celebrate our 25th anniversary of the magazine. As one who has only been a part of the history of the magazine for 20 percent of that time, I am grateful to the many who came before me and laid the foundation for today’s Progressive Dairyman, including and most especially, founder and emeritus publisher Leon Leavitt.
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