Issue Position: Agriculture & Rural Communities

Issue Position

Issue Position: Agriculture & Rural Communities

Minnesota's 80,000 farms represent a proud part of our state's heritage and history. We are the nation's fifth largest agricultural producing state, and our farmers contribute more than $10 billion to Minnesota's economy each year. I know that Minnesota's prosperity depends on protecting and strengthening our farms and rural communities throughout the state. That's why I sought a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee when you sent me to Washington. The Committee has begun work on a new Farm Bill, and I will continue to fight to ensure that the priorities of Minnesota's farmers and rural communities will be well represented in this new legislation.

Agriculture is cyclical in nature. Farmers make large capital investments in their crops, livestock, buildings and equipment. They sometimes face heavy losses due to circumstances beyond their control. Northwest Minnesota was hit with storms and flooding in 2005, and much of the state was affected by drought in 2006, costing farmers $700 million in crop losses over two years. I believe the Farm Bill should provide a strong, fair safety net for farmers to help them survive disasters and times of low prices.

In addition, I believe that farm-based fuels are key to this nation's future energy security. In 2006, ethanol offset the need for 170 million barrels of imported oil, and kept $11 billion in rural America. Our farms can meet a growing portion of our nation's energy needs — from traditional biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel; from a new generation of cellulosic ethanol made from prairie grass; from wind energy; and even from electricity made from livestock waste. I believe the next Farm Bill should move us in that direction.

As Minnesota's U.S. Senator, I'm fighting for these agricultural and rural priorities:

* Ensure a strong and fair safety net for American farmers. Farmers need a fair safety net when prices fall. I am working on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee to extend the commodity programs in the next farm bill.
* Promote further development of homegrown renewable energy.Renewable energy has been nothing short of a revolution in Minnesota. We have 16 ethanol plants and five biodiesel plants up and running, and five more ethanol plants under construction. By 2008, Minnesota will be producing one billion gallons of ethanol and 67 million gallons of biodiesel each year. That will generate $5 billion for the state's economy and support 18,000 jobs.
o Make ethanol and biodiesel available to more drivers. I'm fighting in the Senate to expand the availability of renewable fuels all over the country, to provide additional markets for Minnesota's producers. Along with 11 bipartisan cosponsors, I have introduced the Ethanol Education and Expansion Act, which would provide grants to farmer-owned ethanol producers to install E-85 pumps at rural gas stations.
o Make Minnesota a leader in cellulosic ethanol. I'm taking the lead on efforts in the Senate Agriculture Committee to advance the nation to the next generation of biofuels — cellulosic ethanol made from agricultural residues, wood chips and switchgrass. Along with Senators Harkin and Conrad, I have introduced S. 1403, the Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act, which would encourage farmers to grow dedicated energy crops on marginal land. These crops have the potential to provide our country with carbon-neutral motof fuel.
* Secure permanent disaster assistance. Minnesota farmers lost nearly $700 million in crop value to disasters in 2005 and 2006. I worked to secure disaster assistance for those years in the supplemental spending bill signed into law on May 25, 2007, and I will continue to fight for a program of permanent disaster assistance in the new Farm Bill.
* Maintain a level playing field for Minnesota's sugarbeet farmers. Minnesota is the nation's number one producer of sugarbeets. The sugar program in the 2002 Farm Bill ensured our sugar beet growers a fair price for their product at no cost to the taxpayer. I support extending this program, with additional safeguards against excess imports of subsidized foreign sugar. I will also fight to ensure a fair deal for sugar beet farmers in any future trade agreements.
* Support Minnesota's milk producers. The last five years have been challenging ones for dairy farmers. 2002 saw the lowest milk prices in decades. More recently, we have seen recovery in milk prices. But farmers are facing record costs for feed and energy, which squeeze their profit margins. I support a continuation of the dairy price support program as a basic safety net for dairy farmers, and I will also fight to extend protections in the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program in the next farm bill.
* Ensure that the nutrition needs of our most vulnerable citizens are met. The 2007 Farm Bill must provide a strong safety net through the Food Stamp program, the Emergency Food Assistance program, and the Commodity Supplemental Food program. I am also working to strengthen innovative approaches to fighting hunger such as the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, which provides low-income senior citizens with coupons to shop for fresh produce at farmers' markets, and the Fruit and Vegetable Pilot program, which provides students with fresh fruits and vegetables at school.
* Revitalize rural America. The farm bill's rural development programs should assist rural areas in strengthening their economies and meeting the basic needs of their residents. I will fight to make sure that our rural communities get the support they need to maintain and update their physical infrastructure - whether it's roads, bridges, water treatment or high-speed broadband access to the Internet - to bring new economic development opportunities.

Source