There's a lot riding on the outcome of the 2018 Farm Bill: Crop insurance, dairy safety net, agricultural research, the fate of small and beginning farmers, conservation and more. U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, paid a visit to Ancilla College in Donaldson last Friday to hear the concerns from local farmers.
The topic of how to protect the crop insurance program from the budget axe surfaced several times during the hour-long listening session.
"Crop insurance is a critical cornerstone of the farm bill," said Donnelly, who is a Democrat.
The senator said he has heard from many farmers across the state who want Congress to continue subsidizing the federal crop insurance program. These insurance policies are designed to protect farmers from sharp declines in revenue, and therefore serve as a safety net for corn and soybean producers.
John Childs of Marshall County was one local farmer who urged Donnelly to defend crop insurance, as well as specialty crops, from those in Congress who view farm programs as an easy target for budget cuts. Donnelly said the farm bill wisely couples both farm and nutrition programs so that lawmakers from urban and suburban districts will have a stake in the outcome of the farm bill.
As it currently stands, nutrition programs make up roughly 80 percent of the farm bill budget, while farm commodity spending, crop insurance and conservation, together, account for just 19 percent, according to USDA's Economic Research Service.
With farmers accounting for just 2 percent of the overall population, Childs said the farm bill should be rebranded as the "food bill."
Donnelly, who lives in Granger, said there is a consensus among farmers to protect crop insurance. When asked how Washington can come to the aid of small family farmers, Donnelly said the revenue from crop insurance is one factor that helps these farms survive when there is a devastating drought or flood. He said Congress can also back small and medium-sized farms by making sure that credit is available at a reasonable price and a strong renewable fuels standard.
While farmers represent a small portion of the population, Donnelly said they have tremendous leverage, and a strong voice, because they feed world.
"When you ask any Hoosier, 'What's the heartbeat of our state? What's the character of our state?' They'll think of the farms we have," Donnelly said. "They'll think of the people who plow the dirt, who are out on the tractors. Over 85 percent of our ground is in farmland. It is the emblematic symbol of who we are. And that's why, even though it may not be percentage wise, as many people out on the farm every day, it's still critically important to everything we do."
One speaker asked if Congress plans to extend broadband Internet service to rural areas of the country. Donnelly said broadband represents "one of the great growth areas" for places like Marshall and Starke counties, which are among the 50 Indiana counties that are currently losing population. Donnelly wants to make broadband available to these areas so people can take advantage of opportunities for education and small businesses. Right now, Donnelly said, Congress is looking for direction from the president and Senate leadership on infrastructure spending. He said he hopes that broadband is included in upcoming legislation.
Donnelly said he is also awaiting information on how the farm bill will help dairy farmers. Argos dairyman Mike Heckaman said the current safety net program isn't working and urged the industry to implement a supply management program to control the volume of milk produced.
In response, Donnelly said that that aspect of the farm bill "is an open book right now." The legislation is currently being written and will be released sometime next year, he said.
On conservation, farmers are concerned that funding for cover crops and other soil and water stewardship programs could be in jeopordy as Congress writes the 2018 Farm Bill. But Donnelly predicts the legislation will have a strong conservation title, one that balances both conservation and production.
"The conservation program is critically, critically important to the success of our rivers, to the success of our land," he said, pointing out that Indiana ranks first nationally in cover crop use.
Another speaker pointed out that agriculture and ecology should operate in harmony, but often the two are seen as being at opposite ends of the spectrum. He asked Donnelly how Congress can incentivize policies that promote synthesis of the two.
The senator replied that the two worlds are indeed coming together. Modern farms are taking advantage of technology that helps them become more efficient in their use of inputs like fertilizer and herbicides. The result, Donnelly said, is that farms are reducing the amount of nutrients they apply, and therefore those farms are in better condition when the next generation takes over.
Donnelly said funding for agricultural research is "critically important," and said the dollars invested in science and technology usually pay off, and then some, down the road.
Finally, one speaker was concerned about the drug problem affecting rural areas. Donnelly said that over 50,000 people died last year across the U.S. from opioid overdoses. Many were high school age students. President Trump has declared opioids to be a national crisis.
"The best thing parents can do is to talk to our kids about it and let them know that this danger is there," Donnelly said.