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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Farmers Prioritize Food, Not Feed, in 2023 Farm Bill

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Monday, February 6, 2023   

A large farmer-led coalition is organizing to ensure the 2023 Farm Bill prioritizes the needs of smaller, sustainable farms over large agribusiness operations.

The Farm Bill is renewed every five years and governs an array of food and agricultural programs, such as crop insurance, nutrition assistance, rural development, research and more.

Gene Jonas, produce farmer at Hungry Bear Farm in Wilton, said too much government funding goes toward grain production to feed corporate livestock, which can devastate local water resources.

"The world would be a better place if we had more farms like us all around the country feeding their communities," Jonas asserted. "Rather than monies going out of the communities supporting big agribusinesses that are basically helping destroy the planet in so many ways."

A Farm Action survey found 78% of Americans want federal farm funding to prioritize food for people over feed for livestock. The Farm Bill expires in September and revisions to the bill are currently underway.

The COVID-19 pandemic was tough on U.S. farmers because supply chains collapsed, farmworkers disappeared and income was lost. Many farmers were forced to dump produce while industrial-meat processors euthanized animals.

Jonas said his business was booming because more people saw the value of community-supported agriculture.

"They might have seen grocery store shelves that were empty for the first time in their lives," Jonas observed. "We were there to take on a record number of CSA members that year, and we kept them well-fed."

Jonas added a Farm Bill supporting smaller produce farms would help ensure the U.S. is prepared for the next pandemic and improve Americans' overall health.

The USDA recommends a diet of 50% fruits and vegetables, yet only 4% of U.S. farm subsidies support their production.


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