PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU

Agriculture

Had several conversations with PA House and Senate Members on the 2023 Farm Bill. Discussed need to be passed on time, Farm Bureau priorities (AFBF, PFB, and Northeast state Farm Bureaus), and listened to legislators' current concerns with provisions in the farm bill as well as their individual priorities for the legislation. Testified at a federal farm bill hearing hosted by PA House and Senate Ag. Chairman Thompson and Ag Committee staff were present to hear PFB's farm bill asks. Listened to Chairman Thompson's Farm Bill Listening Session at the Allentown Fair. Op-ed was published written by President Hoffman on nutrition access in farm bill. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support and co-sponsor S.980/H.R.3755, the Industrial Hemp Act by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Representatives Matt Rosendale (R-MT) and Chrissy Houlahan (R-PA). This bill would exempt farmers exclusively growing industrial hemp from the burdensome background checks and costly sampling and testing protocols required for farmers growing cannabinoid hemp like that used in the extraction of CBD. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.1867/H.R.3922, the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR). This bill would direct USDA to authorize and prioritize projects that address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in agricultural and rural communities. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.1837/H.R.3867, the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Mike Kelly (R-PA). This bill would designate spotted lanternflies as a high priority pest under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to direct more federal research dollars to combat these devastating insects. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.1816/H.R.3815, the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Dan Meuser (R-PA). This bill would require a USDA study on providing crop insurance for mushroom farmers. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.1014/H.R.1756, the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY). This bill would initiate a Federal Order Hearing within 180 days in addition to giving USDA the needed authority to cost survey dairy product manufacturers. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.2458/H.R.3904, the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD) and Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Angie Craig (D-MN). This bill would help our next generation of farmers by aligning the definition of Beginning Farmers to match that of other USDA programs - 10 crop years or less instead of the status quo of 5 crop years or less. Signed onto letter supporting S.2458/H.R.3904. Asked PA House and Senate Members to support S.1400/H.R.3036, the Increased TSP Access Act by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Representatives James Baird (R-IN) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). This bill would help streamline the technical service provider (TSP) certification at NRCS and leverage the programs and technical expertise of NRCS to make conservation programs available to more farmers and on more land. Asked PA Senate Members to support S.2614, the Farmer to Farmer Education Act by Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). This bill would allow farmer-to-farmer groups to develop cooperative agreements with USDA to share conservation concepts and new practices. Signed onto letter supporting S.2614. Asked PA House and Senate Members to oppose S.658/H.R.5252, the EQIP Improvement Act by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-CT) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ). This bill would create severe consequences to the EQIP program for animal agriculture operations by targeting livestock operations conservation project funding. Informed PA House and Senate Members that Farm Bureau remains neutral on S.2631/H.R.3424, the Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP) Act by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Representatives Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Ann Kuster (D-NH). This bill would prevent the conversion of forests into non-forest areas by authorizing funding to purchase development rights from willing private landowners. Informed PA House and Senate Members that Farm Bureau remains neutral on S.907/H.R.2814, the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) and Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Jared Golden (D-ME). This bill would exempt from federal inspection requirements animals and meats that are slaughtered and prepared at custom animal slaughter facilities for distribution within the state. Under current law, a custom slaughter exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered exclusively for personal, household, guest, or employee uses. Worked on testimony for PFB at USDA's federal milk marketing orders hearing. Had discussions with AFBF on what to include in PFB's testimony for the federal milk marketing orders. Conducted Hill visits with President Hoffman the week of July 10th, primarily talking about farm bill. Conducted a fly-in visit on September 13 and 14th with PFB members to visits with their legislators and advocate for PFB's priorities: farm bill, dairy, waters of the U.S., ag labor, PFAS, and sustainability. Asked PA House Members to sign onto Representative Jackson's letter to Secretary Vilsack regarding USDA's delay in distributing the disaster assistance funds that were appropriated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2022 crop losses.