Fortenberry Comments on the House Agriculture Committee's Farm Bill

Washington, DC - Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, released the following statement upon the completion of the committee's Farm Bill. The legislation is scheduled to be considered on the House Floor next week.

“Forward thinking farm policy is very important for Nebraska’s farm families and for American agriculture. The committee’s newly crafted Farm Bill lays the groundwork for reform while preserving programs that create opportunity for rural America. It makes progress toward promoting agricultural entrepreneurship and ag-based renewable energy, yet challenges remain. As we move forward, budget shortfalls must be addressed and other reforms, such as further payment limitation, should be considered.”

The Farm Bill contains the following Fortenberry initiatives:

* A new Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency Initiative that would provide grants to rural communities seeking to become self-sufficient in energy production through the use of renewable fuel sources such as biofuels, biomass, biogas, wind and solar.

* An adjustment to the Value Added Producer Grants Program that would help farmers with small or mid-sized farms earn grants to assist them in developing creative marketing strategies for their products.

* An amendment introduced along with Rep. Steve Kagen allowing school systems to use a preference for local foods for school lunches.

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