After 10 Stops on Farm Bill Listening Tour, Donnelly Ready to Push Hoosier Priorities in Upcoming Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. – After holding his 10^th Farm Bill listening session of the year, U.S. Senator Donnelly is prepared to advocate for Hoosiers in the upcoming Farm Bill.  

Donnelly, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said, “This is a critical year for the Indiana agriculture community as we prepare to write another Farm Bill.  As the hired help, I’m committed to making sure Hoosiers from every sector of our agriculture community have a voice in that process, which is why I have traveled all parts of the state listening to those Hoosiers who know these issues best. I have always believed a good farm bill is one written by Hoosiers, which is why I’m focused on issues like crop insurance, Hoosier-grown biofuels, addressing the opioid epidemic in rural communities, improving soil health, trade, rural broadband, rural development programs, nutrition, conservation programs, and more.” 

Donnelly’s 10 Farm Bill Listening Sessions:  

·           Indiana Farm Bureau in Indianapolis: kicked off his Farm Bill Listening Tour at the Indiana Farm Bureau with members of Indiana Farm Bureau’s Farm Bill Task Force, Board of Directors, and Women’s Leadership Committee  

·           Steinbarger Farm in Edinburgh: met with leaders of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Growers Association, as well as local farmers and ag business leaders

·           McCormick Farm in Vincennes: met with leaders of the Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts and local farmers from southwest Indiana and toured the farm and its cover crop plantings

·           Kuehnert Dairy Farm in Fort Wayne: met with leaders of the Indiana Dairy Producers and area farmers, cleaned and operated a robotic milker, and reviewed data collected on individual cow habits, health, and production

·           Foster Hog Farm in Rush County: met with area pork farmers and leaders of the Indiana Pork Producers and toured the farm’s farrowing and gestation facilities with owners Dallas and Meggie Foster, who are first-generation pork farmers

·           Bartholomew County Fair: met with members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Purdue Extension, the Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District, Bartholomew County Farm Bureau members, and 4-H and FFA members at the Bartholomew County Fair

·           Indiana State Fair: held a listening session at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, hosted by the Indiana Farm Bureau, where speakers representing 15 Indiana stake-holders made comments and recommendations

·           Red Gold Tomato Farm in Grant County: helped harvest tomatoes and met with specialty produce farmers and ag business leaders

·           Ancilla College in Plymouth: met with Ancilla College agriculture students and faculty, as well as members of Indiana Farm Bureau and the Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts

·           Food Finders in Lafayette: toured the facility and met with representatives from statewide anti-hunger groups about the nutrition section of the Farm Bill  

Through his work on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Donnelly has worked tirelessly to advocate for Hoosier farmers and rural communities. As part of the previous Farm Bill, Donnelly successfully pushed several measures that were signed into law in 2014. The Farm Bill is typically reauthorized every five years, and the current bill expires in September 2018.