Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Secretary Ross joins coalition urging swift passage of Farm Bill

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined colleagues from states across the country, speaking as NASDA, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, in sending a letter to Congress urging swift passage of the 2012 Farm Bill.

http://www.nasda.org/cms/7196/20728/32676/35149.aspx

September 18, 2012

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi:

The members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) urge Congress to swiftly pass a full five-year Farm Bill. NASDA members are the chief state agriculture officials from every region of the country and are keenly aware of the significant challenges facing America’s farmers and ranchers. We are particularly concerned about the serious impacts of Congress not passing a Farm Bill prior to the expiration of the current bill later this month. In the absence of Congress passing a full five-year Farm Bill, agricultural producers face tremendous uncertainties about their ability to continue to produce a safe and abundant supply of food, fiber and fuel.

As we gathered this week for NASDA’s annual meeting, the urgent need for Congress to pass a five-year Farm Bill was crystal clear. From the farmers and ranchers who are struggling through disastrous drought, to those facing increasing challenges in the dairy industry, agricultural producers nationwide need certainty about national agricultural policy.

Without a Farm Bill, farmers will face significant challenges securing financing for planting next year’s crop, vital safety-net programs for dairy producers will lapse, livestock producers in drought-stricken regions of the country will be left without important disaster assistance, and important export promotion programs will be frozen. The uncertainty facing our farmers, ranchers, and rural economies compels swift and decisive action by Congress to pass a five-year Farm Bill. We stand ready to work with you to ensure America’s agricultural economy remains strong.

Sincerely,

Steve Troxler
President, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Commissioner, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

John McMillan
Commissioner, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries

Fanci Havemeister
Director, Alaska Division of Agriculture

Donald Butler
Director, Arizona Department of Agriculture

Butch Calhoun
Secretary, Arkansas Agriculture Department

Karen Ross
Secretary, California Department of Food & Agriculture

John Salazar
Commissioner, Colorado Department of Agriculture

Steven Reviczky
Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Agriculture

Ed Kee
Secretary, Delaware Department of Agriculture

Adam Putnam
Commissioner, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Russell Kokubun
Chairperson, Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Celia Gould
Director, Idaho State Department of Agriculture

Bob Flider
Acting Director, Illinois Department of Agriculture

Bill Northey
Secretary, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

Dale Rodman
Secretary, Kansas Department of Agriculture

Michael Strain
Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry

Earl “Buddy” Hance
Secretary, Maryland Department of Agriculture

Jamie Clover Adams
Director, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

David Frederickson
Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Cindy Hyde-Smith
Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce

Jon Hagler
Director, Missouri Department of Agriculture

Ron de Yong
Director, Montana Department of Agriculture

Greg Ibach
Director, Nebraska Department of Agriculture

Jim Barbee
Director, Nevada Department of Agriculture

Lorraine Merrill
Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food

Jeff Witte
Director/Secretary, New Mexico Department of Agriculture

Darrel Aubertine
Commissioner, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets

Doug Goehring
Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Agriculture

Jim Reese
Secretary, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry

Katy Coba
Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture

George Greig
Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Hugh Weathers
Commissioner, South Carolina Department of Agriculture

Walt Bones
Secretary, South Dakota Department of Agriculture

Leonard Blackham
Commissioner, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food

Chuck Ross
Secretary, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

Dan Newhouse
Director, Washington State Department of Agriculture

Gus Douglass
Commissioner, West Virginia Department of Agriculture

Jason Fearneyhough
Director, Wyoming Department of Agriculture

 

 

cc: Chairman Frank Lucas, House Committee on Agriculture

Ranking Member Collin Peterson, House Committee on Agriculture

Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Ranking Member Pat Roberts, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

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