Farm Bill Passes Through House Committee; Advocates React

May 29, 2024

By Clayton Baumgarth

Local organizations are reacting to the House version of the Farm Bill, legislation that entails food assistance programs as well as programs for the agriculture industry. 

On Friday the House Committee on Agriculture approved the bill, known as the Farm, Food, And National Security Act of 2024. 

Lawmakers and interest groups have been sharing their opinions on the 900-page Republican-backed legislation since then. 

Emily Weikert Bryant, the executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, said her organization is concerned about cuts to the SNAP program, formerly known as food stamps, in the $1.5 trillion bill. 

“This farm bill would eliminate the ability to appropriately adjust and re-level those SNAP benefits to the tune of nearly $30 billion in SNAP assistance impacting all future SNAP recipients,” she said. 

House Ag Committee Democrats said it would be the largest cut to the SNAP program in nearly 30 years. 

During the mark-up process on Thursday, an amendment was added that would make illegal the sale of THC products derived from hemp such as Delta-8.

The Midwest Hemp Council said in a statement that while the amendment was “terrible,” there is a long legislative process that must play out before the law is actually changed.

Meanwhile, Brantley Seifers, the director of government affairs for the Indiana Farm Bureau, said he’s pleased with some of the more farmer-centric portions of the bill including a provision that would solve issues brought up by California Prop 12, which limited pork producers from selling in the state. 

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Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.