Senate Hears NAWG Plea for Enhanced Farm Bill Support

Feb 06, 2025
By Farms.com

Agricultural Leader Keeff Felty Calls for Critical Policy Updates

Addressing the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Keeff Felty, President of the National Association of Wheat Growers, highlighted the critical economic issues facing the agricultural sector as he enters his 40th farming year.

Felty's testimony painted a stark picture of the challenges similar to the severe downturns of the early 1980s, emphasizing the necessity of robust legislative support through the farm bill.

Felty appreciated the recent disaster assistance from Congress but stressed that "That assistance is much needed across all of agriculture. However, long-term improvements to the farm safety net must be included as this committee, and Congress work to reauthorize the farm bill this year.”

The NAWG President outlined the organization's priorities for the forthcoming farm bill, particularly the protection of the crop insurance program which has proven crucial for many farmers facing natural disasters.

Felty cited his own experience with a hailstorm that significantly damaged his wheat crop, underscoring the importance of insurance in maintaining farm operations.

Felty advocated for an increase in the wheat PLC reference price, which has not been updated since 2018 despite a 30% increase in the cost of crop inputs. This adjustment is essential for the economic viability of wheat farmers, especially given the extensive global reach of U.S. wheat exports.

Felty's testimony also covered the wider impacts of high input costs, elevated interest rates, and depressed commodity prices, which have collectively led to a 43% decrease in net cash farm income for wheat growers from 2023 to 2024, marking a 15-year low.

Concluding his testimony, Felty urged for a comprehensive and meaningful farm bill that could provide long-term certainty and support for the agricultural community as it navigates these turbulent times.

NAWG continues to collaborate with Senate members to help shape a farm bill that addresses these pressing issues and promotes the sustainability of the U.S. agricultural economy.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.