Iowa Row Crops

Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the U.S. House agriculture committee will host a farm bill forum with Rep. Dave Loebsack on Saturday, July 27, at 11 a.m. at the Johnson County extension office at 2109 Old Highway 218 S., Iowa City.

Loebsack was quoted June 28 in the Knoxville Journal Express regarding the failure of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the senate’s version of the farm bill. “’The inability of the house to come together and move a farm bill forward is inexcusable. I have been calling for a farm bill for over a year now. Failure to enact a farm bill means jobs in our rural communities are at risk and cuts to rural and farm initiatives critical to Iowa’s economy are likely. I stood with the entire Iowa delegation to advance this critical legislation for farmers, Iowa’s economy, and families. The senate was able to find commonsense compromise. The house needs to do the same,’ Loebsack said in a statement. ‘I am deeply concerned with the extreme cuts to anti-hunger initiatives, known as SNAP, that were contained in the bill. Our economy is still struggling to recover and many families rely on this program to put food on the table and ensure their children do not go to school hungry. I was the only member from Iowa to cosponsor an amendment to restore these cuts and fought to have it included in the bill. Today’s vote shows that restoration of SNAP funding is critical to a farm bill being enacted.'”

Loebsack and Peterson will discuss the current farm bill, then listen and respond to audience comments.