Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., with a group of Minnesota Farm Bureau members to meet with elected officials as farm bill discussions get underway. The farm bill is a piece of legislation that at its core provides food security for everyone in our country through programming like nutrition assistance, crop insurance and conservation practices.
With the next farm bill expected to be renewed in 2023, our elected officials in D.C. can shape the future of our agricultural industry. After conversations with the Minnesota congressional delegation, we were able to see firsthand the influential position they hold in the decisionmaking process of this legislation. With this spread of knowledge and experience on both sides of the aisle, Minnesotans of all backgrounds can be assured that our state is in a great position to make sure our nation's food supply from the field to the table will be secure for years to come.
One overarching theme continually arose throughout our meetings, and that was the bipartisan nature of this bill. Both sides of the aisle are willing to reach out and work together to get this bill reauthorized. Great discussions around addressing food insecurity and the health of our growing population by providing nutritious food is a priority, and will continue to be a focus to make this bill well-rounded.
Individually, both Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Tina Smith sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee, leading farm bill conversations. Minnesota is one of two states (along with Iowa) with both senators serving on the committee. Klobuchar is the third-most-senior member on the committee, bringing her commitment and expertise on agriculture issues to the remainder of the committee members. Smith also serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade, where she advocates for strong crop insurance and commodity programs that support farmers in uncertain markets, along with promoting our state's strong agriculture export market and potential.
