Agriculture
Preserving Local Family Farms and Protecting Open Spaces
In addition to providing food, Rhode Island’s working farmland is critical to preserving our environment and maintaining a diverse economy.
Senator Reed has worked hard to ensure that Rhode Island family farmers and their employees can remain competitive and productive. His efforts helped save local dairy farms so Rhode Islanders continue to have access to fresh and affordable dairy products.
Small, family farmers deserve help, but big corporate agribusiness does not. That is why Reed has long advocated for ending wasteful federal farm subsidies. Reed wants to save taxpayers money and reduce the deficit by ending out-dated subsidies.
Read More Accomplishments »Key Priorities & Accomplishments
- To protect consumers and keep the nation’s food supply safe from contamination, Reed helped pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. This law will make the food supply safer for consumers, hold producers accountable, and protect the livelihoods of Rhode Island family farmers.
- Secured federal assistance to help Rhode Island farmers recover from natural disasters and for agriculture conservation programs to help promote farming practices that are environmentally responsible.
- Reed supported the FRESH Act, a pro-farmer, pro-consumer, pro-nutrition bill that aimed to protect Rhode Island’s open spaces and save taxpayers money by replacing out-dated federal farm subsidies with a reformed insurance program for all American farmers.
- Helped provide $3.5 million in federal funding to protect Rhode Island’s local farms through the Farm and Ranchland Preservation Program and $1.9 million to help preserve 140 acres of Ferolbink Farm, an iconic coastal farm that will be protected from future development.
The Latest
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Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act
Madam President, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, also known as the farm bill, makes some strides in reforming agriculture policy and subsidies. However, in my view, these reforms are not sufficient. Moreover, the bill contains cuts to nutrition and conservation programs and changes to eligibi...
Posted on 6/21/2012 | -
USDA Approves Statewide Disaster Declaration for RI Farmers
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved natural disaster declaration assistance for all Rhode Island farmers that suffered damage as a result of Tropical Storm Irene. This declaration...
Posted on 10/6/2011 | -
USDA Approves Disaster Declaration for RI Farmers
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a disaster declaration for nine Massachusetts counties, which will also benefit farmers in the adjacent Rhode Island counties of Bristol, Newport, and...
Posted on 9/22/2011 | -
Reed: New Report Highlights Need to Restrict Inappropriate Use of Antibiotics in Farm Animals to Protect Human Health
PORTSMOUTH, RI -- After the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report this week demonstrating that the federal government has not taken sufficient action to protect consumers against the misuse of antibiotics in food producing livestock, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is callin...
Posted on 9/16/2011 | -
Reed Visits Escobar's Highland Farm
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Posted on 9/16/2011 | -
Reed Tours Expansion of Farm Fresh Rhode Island's Market Mobile Warehouse and Announces $1.8 Million to Provide Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to RI Schools
PAWTUCKET, RI -- In an effort to help boost the economy and get more fresh, local foods on Rhode Islanders' plates, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined with local farmers, chefs, and grocers for a tour of Farm Fresh Rhode Island's Wintertime Market hallway and see the progress of the curr...
Posted on 3/23/2011 | -
Reed Gives Remarks at Ferolbink Farm Event
Senator Reed gives remarks at Ferolbink Farm event. September 10, 2010...
Posted on 9/10/2010 |