Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) President Carl Bednarski is urging members to complete a short feedback survey to help the organization better advocate for state priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill — the nation’s most comprehensive food and farm policy.
After a recent visit to the nation’s capital, Bednarski said decisionmakers and policy staff in D.C. are open to county Farm Bureau member ideas for improving and updating the 2023 Farm Bill from its predecessor, the 2018 Farm Bill.
“They understand it’s a little bit behind schedule, but they want to get a farm bill together and need our input,” Bednarski said. “They are reaching out to us and asking, ‘what do you want in the next farm bill?’ and we need you to tell us what’s happening locally, so they know it’s coming from you — their constituents.”
The survey asks members to reflect on the programs they use that fall within the farm bill’s 12 titles: commodities, conservation, trade, nutrition, credit, rural development, research, forestry, energy, horticulture, crop insurance and miscellaneous programs.
“Congress and the Biden administration will ultimately make the final decisions on these critical farm and nutrition programs, so we must ensure they understand the needs, opportunities and challenges of Michigan farm families,” Bednarski said. “After all, we don’t want those outside of agriculture determining the future of programs that help us provide safe and abundant food, fiber and fuel.”
The MFB 2023 Farm Bill survey will remain open through Sept. 16.
Survey responses will also be utilized by MFB’s member-led Farm Bill Task Force as they finalize recommendations for inclusion in the organization’s policy development process leading up to the 2022 state annual meeting Nov. 29-30. The delegate body’s work, in part, includes deliberating and approving national policy recommendations to be passed on to delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in January 2023.
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