Waverly farmer says whoever wins election needs to get farm bill passed
WAVERLY, Neb. (KLKN) – Less than a month before the current federal farm bill expires, a new one still hasn’t been passed.
And with the presidential election coming up, the legislation is at the front of one farmer’s mind.
Paula Peterson has been farming with her husband near Waverly for 38 years.
She has been reaching out to lawmakers to get the farm bill passed.
Peterson said strong agriculture starts with good trade policies and partnerships.
“Nebraska is really, really strong on trade,” she said. “But I think we need to be able to make sure nationwide, we have really good trade policies in place.”
Peterson said the farm bill is critical for farmers who are reliant on selling the products they grow.
The farm bill provides mandatory funding for everything from to food stamps to financial aid for farmers.
It includes a safety net program for farmers when the market fluctuates, farm loans, disaster assistance programs and conservation programs.
“Whichever administration gets into office, we really would like the farm bill taken care of,” she said. “We need long-term fixes, not executive actions. And that’s where we need Congress and Senate to really work together to come up with solutions to some of these problems, on the trade, on immigration, on food nutrition.”
Peterson said the farm bill helps farmers survive in a tough industry while making sure that food is on everyone’s table.
“We all need to eat, and we all should be able to eat,” she said. “And that’s where the tie comes in between the nutrition programs and the farm side of it because it takes both of us to be able to do that.”
The farm bill is supposed to be updated every five years, but the last one was passed in 2018.
The extension of that bill is set to end Sept. 30.
Peterson said the best thing farmers can do is share feedback with lawmakers and get out to vote.
“Our day-to-day life is dependent on what other people are doing, but we just have to keep doing our job,” she said.
