National Young Farmer Coalition Members Show Support for Farm Bill

Millennial farmer-members of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), recently met with their legislative representatives in Washington, DC, to advocate for support in the upcoming farm bill.

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“The 2018 Farm Bill is make or break for millennials who want to farm,” said Lindsey Lusher Shute, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of NYFC. “Unless we tackle affordable land, student debt, and health care now, few of these young farmers and ranchers will make agriculture a lifelong career. With two-thirds of our farmland ready to transition, the next Farm Bill must be devoted to young farmers who stand ready to work the land and feed our nation.”

Travelling from states such as Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, the NYFC farmers met with elected officials serving on the Senate and House committees focused on agriculture, budget appropriations, education, environment, and the workforce. These legislators included Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Steve Daines (R-MT), David Perdue (R-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). The list of Representatives included Austin Scott (R-GA), Scott Tipton (R-CO); Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), and Tom O’Halleran, (D-AZ).

“We were heartened to receive such a positive response from legislators who now better understand the challenges young farmers face in their districts,” said Andrew Bahrenburg, National Policy Director for NYFC. “Armed with real stories from the constituents that they serve, they are ready to fight for young farmer interests in the next farm bill.”

Bahrenburg noted that NYFC will follow-up this fly-in in Washington, DC, with roundtable discussions with elected officials in key states over the summer. In the fall, NYFC will announce the results of its signature national survey of young farmers and ranchers, and hold another fly-in in Washington, DC.

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Avatar for Bill Roe Bill Roe says:

What does student debt and health care have to do about the price of eggs or with a young person’s career decision about whether to pursue Ag opportunities. The real issues are a terribly managed and constructed guest worker program that deprives AG of its necessary labor needs, and an enormous overburden of regulators especially the Dept of Labor, who act as if farmers are taking advantage of the undereducated sector by providing them job opportunities. Alittle support from DEP and EPA instead of excessive rulemaking and interference would encourage the next generation to enjoy the honorable task of providing food for the citizens of this country.

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