Fw: Press Release: House Agriculture Committee Holds Farm Bill FieldHearing in Nampa, Idaho

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-----Original Message-----
From: AgPress <AgPress@mail.house.gov>
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 16:40:23
To: News Distribution<news@aglist.house.gov>
Subject: Press Release: House Agriculture Committee Holds Farm Bill Field
Hearing in Nampa, Idaho

News from the House Agriculture Committee

http://agriculture.house.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, May 1, 2010

Media Contact:
April Slayton (202) 225-6872
James Ryder (202) 225-0020

House Agriculture Committee Holds Farm Bill Field Hearing in Nampa, Idaho

NAMPA, ID - Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson held a field hearing in Nampa, Idaho to review U.S.
agriculture policy as the Committee begins the process of writing the 2012 Farm Bill. This is the second in a series of hearings
scheduled across the country to consider new ideas regarding Federal food and farm policy. Six Members of Congress attended today's
hearing and heard testimony from ten witnesses on a variety of farm policy issues.

"Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in Idaho produce a wide variety of agricultural products, and their experiences with so
many of the programs authorized by the Farm Bill are essential as we move forward with a new Farm Bill," said Chairman Peterson. "I
am impressed by the innovation and ingenuity that we have seen from Idaho producers, and their input will help us develop a Farm
Bill that will provide the best possible safety net."

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, Idaho ranks first in the nation among states growing potatoes and second in
harvested vegetables for sale. More than 900,000 acres of land in Idaho are enrolled in USDA conservation programs.

"We must make sure that our producers are equipped with an adequate safety net to provide Americans with the food and fiber they
need," said Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas of Oklahoma. "As we travel throughout the nation, the feedback we
receive from our producers will give us a good sense of how current farm bill programs work in practice and what improvements need
to be made."

About 100 members of the community attended the hearing, including local agriculture producers and leaders. House Agriculture
Committee Members attending the hearing included: Chairman Peterson, Ranking Member Lucas, Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
of South Dakota, Congressman Jim Costa of California, and Congressman Walt Minnick of Idaho. Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho, who
serves on the House Appropriations Committee, also attended the hearing.

"Idaho agriculture has long been innovative and at the forefront of the industry. I am pleased that our leaders had the
opportunity to share their experiences and showcase the diversity of the Idaho agricultural community at today's hearing,"
Congressman Minnick said. "Our farmers are being recognized for their successes. It is important that the people who are impacted
by the Farm Bill shape its future. Today, more than ever, our farmers face unprecedented pressures. Hearing from them early is
critical to getting the next farm bill right."

"Agriculture plays a critical role in our state's economy, and the Farm Bill significantly impacts the ability of Idaho farmers to
succeed in the present and plan for the future," said Congressman Simpson. "I am hopeful that today's hearing provided the House
Agriculture Committee with good insight into how these programs impact our state's potato, sugar, grain, dairy, and cattle
industries, as well as Idaho's specialty crops. I have always appreciated Chairman Peterson's insistence that our nation's farm
policy be developed in a bipartisan way, and I look forward to working with him to craft a Farm Bill that provides a firm footing
for Idaho agriculture in the years to come."

Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.
A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.

To receive updated schedule and news information from the House Agriculture, please visit the House Committee on Agriculture website
to sign up for email updates: http://agriculture.house.gov/Eupdates/updates.html.

Witness List

Panel I
. Mr. Fred Brossy, organic wheat, bean, potato and hay producer, Shoshone, Idaho
. Mr. Scott Brown, wheat and barley producer, Soda Springs, Idaho
. Mr. Doug Gross, potato producer, Wilder, Idaho
. Mr. Kelly Henggeler, apple, plum and peach producer and packer, Fruitland, Idaho
. Mr. Galen Lee, sugarbeet, mint, asparagus, hay, grain, corn and cattle producer, New Plymouth, Idaho
. Mr. Brian Kernohan, forestry, Coeur d' Alene, Idaho

Panel II
. Mr. Ron Bitner, winegrape producer and vintner, Caldwell, Idaho
. Mr. Charlie Lyons, cattle producer, Mountain Home, Idaho
. Mr. Adrian Boer, dairy producer, Jerome, Idaho
. Ms. Cindy Siddoway, lamb producer, Terreton, Idaho


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The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.

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