Last month, the House Agriculture Committee held the first 2012 Farm Bill hearing. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak discussed many of the challenges facing farmers and rural America.
Secretary Vilsak proposed five focus areas under of his Regional Innovation Initiative: Broadband, Renewable Energy and Bio-Fuels, Regional Food Systems and Supply Chains, Forest Restoration and Private Land Conservation, and Ecosystem Market Incentives.
On May 3, the Agriculture Committee held a field hearing in Fresno to hear from California producers about the challenges they face. Among those testifying was a rice producer from Live Oak.
For more information on the Farm Bill hearings, visit agriculture.house.gov. Connections will provide updates in future issues as this important policy discussion continues.