Vilsack Lists 10 Reasons Why Farm Bill Passage is Vital

Jun 28, 2013

Vilsack Lists 10 Reasons Why Farm Bill Passage is Vital

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack presented a case in his most recent blog outlining why passing a food and farm bill is crucial. Vilsack lists 10 reasons why Congress must demonstrate leadership to pass a farm bill this year.

1. American farmers and ranchers need to plan ahead for the next five years – which U.S. farm policy dictates.

2. U.S. livestock producers need a mechanism for disaster assistance, especially in times of widespread drought conditions.

3. Dairy farmers require an effective support system.

4. Conservation practices need to be encouraged through conservation funds for farmers, landowners and forestry lands.

5. Organic and small-scale producers need enhanced access to farm bill programs to help boost their industry.

6. Land grant university institutions and researchers need support to encourage innovation and research that supports agriculture.

7. Rural America is counting on investments in renewable energy and biofuel production for job creation.

8. New and young producers require assistance to increase the number of people producing food.

9. Cotton producers and businesses require a resolution of the Brazil cotton dispute.

10. Americans concerned about the deficit needs a bill that will help contribute to part of the solution to reducing the deficit.

Please note the above lists are not the exact wording that Vilsack has provided, but rather a highlight of his argument. The Farm Bill passed the Senate, but died when it reached the House. The 2008 farm bill extension expires Sept. 30 2013.

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.