Senate Ag Committee Schedules First Farm Bill Hearing

Jan 27, 2017

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is getting right to work on the next Farm Bill. Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., announced yesterday that the first hearing of the 115th Congress will be held in Manhattan, Kan., on Feb. 23 and will focus on reauthorization.

Manhattan is home to Kansas State University, America's first land-grant university, and the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility. K-State is also Roberts' alma mater.

"It's time to get to work on another Farm Bill, and we're heading straight to the heartland to talk directly to producers," said Chairman Roberts. "I can't think of a more appropriate venue to hold this hearing than Manhattan, Kan."

The hearing will be titled "Hearing from the Heartland: Perspectives on the 2018 Farm Bill from Kansas" and will be hosted in McCain Auditorium. The time is yet to be announced.

"Our producers have had time to employ the programs in the current Farm Bill, and they have a lot to say. We need clear direction on what is working and what is not working in farm country, and we will be listening to see what needs to be adjusted," Roberts said.

Attendees will hear testimonies from a variety of agricultural producers who have yet to be announced.

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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.