Rep. Collin Peterson (D- MN 7)
Low commodity prices are a top issue for Minnesota farmers at Farmfest in Redwood Falls, and it’s prompting talk of moving up the timeline for writing a new Farm Bill. Congressman Collin Peterson, top Democrat on the U-S House Agriculture Committee, says the current bill is not an adequate safety net because it was written in a time of high prices. Peterson says, “It hasn’t gotten to be too much of an issue so far, but I think this winter is gonna be a big problem, and if it gets bad enough, it might force us to move a year early on the Farm Bill, which wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Peterson says even though there’s talk of decoupling farm programs from nutrition programs in the next Farm Bill, that’s very unlikely. “What’ll happen if you split ’em, food stamps will go on and the Farm Bill will end, that’s what’ll happen, ’cause there’s nobody to vote for the Farm Bill,” he says. “People just don’t get it: They’re not gonna get rid of food stamps. It’s just not gonna happen.”