Local ag leaders join Cantwell for farm bill forum
Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, and Maria Cantwell, D–Washington, stand in an apple orchard in Wenatchee last week as part of a roundtable forum held at McDougall & Sons on Washington priorities for the upcoming farm bill.
COURTESY PHOTO/OFFICE OF MARIA CANTWELL
WENATCHEE — Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, joined a forum of nearly 30 state leaders in agriculture to discuss the upcoming re-authorization of the farm bill, according to a press release from Cantwell’s office.
Cantwell was joined in Wenatchee by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the release said.
“This is a key moment for all of us to think about our changing environment, the challenges of getting to overseas markets that we want to have access to, the amount of money we want to see in ag research, (and) the progress we want to keep making in helping this sector thrive and grow,” Cantwell said in the press release.
The meeting was hosted by Wenatchee-area apple, pear and cherry grower and processor McDougall & Sons, and participants included Washington State Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison, Washington Potato Commission Executive Director Chris Voigt, Royal City dairy farmer and vice chair of the Northwest Dairy Association/Dairygold Board Tony Freeman, as well as a number of other growers and representatives of farm organizations.
In an email to the Columbia Basin Herald, Voigt said the roundtable with Cantwell and Stabenow was a good opportunity to share the state’s priorities for the upcoming farm bill, which Congress needs to approve before the end of September when the current bill expires.
“There was wide participation from many of the crops produced in Washington, including potatoes, wheat, raspberries, wine, dairy, tree fruit, and pulses,” Voigt wrote. “Specialty crops like potatoes and other produce items make up about 45% of the farm sales in the country but only receive 3% of the ag portion of the Farm Bill.”
Voigt said potato growers are seeking greater funding for international promotion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program and more funding for research as well.
U.S. farm legislation must be passed every five years and sets policy and budgets for agricultural support and research, food and nutrition assistance programs and other aspects of agriculture — including forestry — in the United States, the press release said.
Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.