The Senate Agriculture Committee held a field hearing on the Farm Bill in Grand Island, NE
on August 16th. Farmers were invited to voice their opinions on what they would like to see
in the next Farm Bill. Witnesses expressed interest in seeing a revenue-based approach to
the upcoming bill and voiced little enthusiasm at the suggestion of extending current
legislation.

The Senate Agriculture Committee subsequently visited Great Falls, MT on August 17th for
another field hearing to receive input on the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization. The
topics of alternative energy and international trade were given considerable attention, along
with talks on the Conservation Reserve Program.

Other Senate hearings in August on the Farm Bill included a field hearing in Moscow, ID on
August 11th held by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry,
Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization and a field hearing in
Redmond, OR on August 15th held by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
Forestry.

The House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture also
held a hearing on Farm policy issues on August 28th in Springfield, MO.
At this time, only one hearing has been scheduled for September on the Farm Bill. The
hearing, being held by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, is set for September 8th in
Lubbock, TX.

To sign up for American Forests’ Farm Bill Listserve, a current news and events forum on all things Farm
Bill related, please e-mail Laura Schweitzer at lschweitzer@amfor.org.

Courtesy of Pinchot Institute
www.pinchot.org