A Note From Congressman Eric Sorensen

The beating heart of central and northwest Illinois is our farmers, and I am proud to be their trusted voice on the House Agriculture Committee. Negotiations are ongoing around what the next Farm Bill will look like, and I wanted to share what I am working to get into the bill to make sure our farmers and producers have what they need to do their jobs.

First, we need to strengthen crop insurance. For more than two decades, I was a meteorologist. I talked directly with farmers, and I saw the impact extreme weather and a changing climate was having on their ability to grow crops. We are seeing more frequent flooding and severe weather in between more times of significant drought.

Crop insurance helps mitigate the impact of these extreme weather events. It could also mean less of a need for emergency subsidies and disaster assistance as losses mount with increasing climate change. I am proud to be the person at the table who can make sense of the weather while learning how good decisions can positively impact our agricultural communities.

Second, our region should be leading the world in advanced agriculture research and innovation. This is how our farmers stay competitive in markets around the globe. We are seeing countries like China and Brazil use updated technology to assist their own producers. If we don’t make the right investment, our farmers will fall behind. This Farm Bill needs to invest in research and development that will keep our farming communities sustainable.

Speaking of sustainability, we need to be doing more to incentivize conservation and sustainable farming practices. Our farm communities, especially smaller family farms, need the tools to build a stronger and better future for generations. This means promoting soil health, improving water quality and reducing excess fertilizer runoff.

Lastly, one of the largest pieces of the Farm Bill surrounds food security. As our neighbors struggle with inflation and high costs, the last thing we need to be doing is making it harder to bring groceries home. SNAP benefits ensure working families put food on the table for their hungry kids. And farmers benefit from SNAP, too, as they can produce more food and bring those goods to market. Some want to cut these life-saving benefits. I can’t live in good conscience if that happens.

Our farmers keep grocery store shelves stocked and develop homegrown energy from biofuels and ethanol. They make sure America’s heartland remains strong. We can’t let this year’s Farm Bill be infused with partisan politics. We need to work together to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports farmers, working families and the entire nation.