Ernst: Nothing Compares… to an Updated Farm Bill
Agriculture is at the heart of the Iowa State Fair
Every August, more than a million people from around the globe converge in Des Moines for eleven Amazingly Amusing days filled with corndogs, contests, and concerts! That’s right, folks, I’m talking about the great Iowa State Fair!
I've enjoyed some of the Best Days Ever on the fairgrounds while meeting constituents and honoring Iowa agriculture and achievement. Nothing Compares to our internationally acclaimed state fair, and I'm always thrilled to participate in this great Iowa tradition. This year’s fair was the largest in its 170-year history with a record-setting 1,182,682 fairgoers in attendance.
I joined in the Fair Fever by participating in some of my Fair Favorites: grilling up pork for fairgoers at the Iowa Pork Producers' Tent, visiting the butter cow and super bull, serving the delicious and nutritious egg-on-a-stick with the Iowa Egg Council, and chatting with Iowans as I strolled through the barns.
Each year, countless State Fair Moments like these exemplify the important role agriculture plays in Iowa. Today, less than 2% of the American population is directly involved in production agriculture, but in our state, farming shapes our way of life.
Nowhere is that more apparent than at the Iowa State Fair. Folks who may have never stepped foot on a farm get the chance to watch a chick hatch in the Animal Learning Center, be introduced to a new specialty crop in the Agriculture Building, or talk with a 4-H or FFA exhibitor about their livestock in the barns. Our farmers and rural communities bring their best to the fair to make that experience possible.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, I am dedicated to ensuring their voices are represented in the halls of Congress. Right now, that means passing an updated Farm Bill.
For our nation’s farmers, the Farm Bill is The Big One – a comprehensive piece of legislation that should be renewed every five years to provide them with confidence as they generate our nation’s food, fuel, and fiber. Right now, it’s long overdue for an update. The farm economy is much different today than it was five years ago, and we need a modernized piece of legislation to reflect those changes.
However, with a projected $1.5 trillion price tag, a new Farm Bill continues to stall. Democrats continue to Zero In on costly food and climate change initiatives instead of programs that put our farmers first. In fact, less than 18% of the current Farm Bill is tied to programs that actually impact farmers.
Our producers deserve legislation that works for them, and the solution is clear: we need more FARM in the Farm Bill!
In order to keep Iowa agriculture strong for state fairs to come, I’ve proposed measures to safeguard domestic farmland from our foreign adversaries, provide resources to prevent animal disease outbreaks, reverse California’s left-wing Prop 12 regulations, and streamline the process for getting innovative technologies into farmers’ hands that improve both water quality and soil health. I’m also working to strengthen the use and manufacturing of bio-based products, modernize Aggie Bonds and access to capital for first-time farmers, and improve the affordability of crop insurance.
While I was glad to see many of these measures included in the Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill plan, the hard truth is that updated legislation will continue to stall unless Democrats are willing to negotiate.
I understand that for our hardworking producers, just like Nothing Compares to celebrating our ag roots at our great state fair, Nothing Compares to supporting rural Iowa by passing an updated Farm Bill. Our Iowa farmers deserve legislation that works for them, and I’m fighting to do just that.
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
Click here for an official portrait of Senator Ernst and here for pictures of Ernst at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.
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