The 2023 Farm Bill was an important topic of discussion at the 8th Annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City.
Blake Hurst, a third-generation farmer from Tarkio, Missouri, took the stage to praise the bipartisan nature of ag committees. However, he says he is worried about policies being made outside the traditional structure.
“Farm state representatives and farm groups are justifiably proud of the bipartisan nature of the agricultural committees. It has been a tremendous benefit to all of agriculture that ag committee members operate, usually without too much partisan rancor. But I worry that we’re seeing a disturbing change, not necessarily in the committees themselves, but in the amount of farm policy that’s being made outside of the traditional committee structure. This movement away from the way we’ve operated in the past is bipartisan as well. I blame it on the letter C: specifically the CCC, COVID, and climate. All have been weapons in the battle to castrate agriculture committees,” said Hurst.
America’s supply chain was also a hot topic of discussion at the Forum, especially as groups wait anxiously for a deal to be ratified by rail workers and union leaders.
