Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) convened a listening session at the WSU Puyallup R&E Center to hear from the local agriculture community on their priorities, concerns, and questions surrounding the upcoming Farm Bill. Congresswoman Schrier has been named the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Farm Bill Task Force and has served on the House Agriculture Committee for four years.
WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) Dean Wendy Powers moderated the event, which included farmers, producers, and other agriculture partners from across the state to voice their thoughts on the upcoming Farm Bill. The Congresswoman and her staff will take the stories they heard back to Washington, D.C. as they work to craft legislation to address the needs and challenges of today’s farmers.
WSU is grateful to the Congresswoman for her leadership in funding the Research Facilities Act, which is an integral part of meeting WSU’s infrastructure needs in CAHNRS and the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). For our institution’s research capabilities, the impact of this aging infrastructure is pronounced as we try to maintain our global competitiveness, focusing on new technologies and innovation while training the next generation of workforce to meet the needs of our state, nation, and global agriculture economies.
The Farm Bill, which was last passed in 2018, provides funding for several significant agricultural and food programs for the following five to six years. The present Farm Bill, which is due to expire in 2023, must be updated to address new issues as well as reauthorized for ongoing programs.
Programs essential to Washington’s agricultural community—such as agricultural research, trade and access to international markets, crop insurance, forestry and conservation programs, and nutrition programs— are set to expire without the enactment of a new Farm Bill.
The House Agriculture Committee continues to hold listening sessions across the country to review the efficacy of each Farm bill provision.
