Face To Face
With Senator Blanche Lincoln
Tommy Horton
Will urban members of Congress ever appreciate the fact that the commodity title is a small percentage of the overall Farm Bill?
You really have to spell it out for them and drill it into their heads. When you look at the numbers, 82 percent of the Farm Bill was devoted to nutrition and 16 percent was earmarked for agriculture and conservation. Unless we want to start importing all of our food and fiber, we need to make sure the public and our colleagues in Congress understand this. We're the third largest exporter in the world, and the two countries ahead of us use water from rivers with direct sewage access in their cotton production. These are things that people need to know. This is why the commodity title is important in the Farm Bill. If we don't have a viable ag economy in this country, our way of life would be different.
Why is agriculture such a passion for you?
Besides being raised in a farm family in Helena, Ark., I believe in the families and workers across this country who spend their days from sunup to sundown doing the best job they can do. I just think that being a part of rural America is a very special thing.
I can remember my father walking through a rice field and the way he wanted that field to be as clean as possible. These are the experiences that make me appreciate agriculture. Somehow we need to teach children that food doesn't come from the grocery store. Somebody grew those crops that gave us this food.
source : cottonfarming
With Senator Blanche Lincoln
Tommy Horton
Will urban members of Congress ever appreciate the fact that the commodity title is a small percentage of the overall Farm Bill?
You really have to spell it out for them and drill it into their heads. When you look at the numbers, 82 percent of the Farm Bill was devoted to nutrition and 16 percent was earmarked for agriculture and conservation. Unless we want to start importing all of our food and fiber, we need to make sure the public and our colleagues in Congress understand this. We're the third largest exporter in the world, and the two countries ahead of us use water from rivers with direct sewage access in their cotton production. These are things that people need to know. This is why the commodity title is important in the Farm Bill. If we don't have a viable ag economy in this country, our way of life would be different.
Why is agriculture such a passion for you?
Besides being raised in a farm family in Helena, Ark., I believe in the families and workers across this country who spend their days from sunup to sundown doing the best job they can do. I just think that being a part of rural America is a very special thing.
I can remember my father walking through a rice field and the way he wanted that field to be as clean as possible. These are the experiences that make me appreciate agriculture. Somehow we need to teach children that food doesn't come from the grocery store. Somebody grew those crops that gave us this food.
source : cottonfarming
No comments:
Post a Comment