Story by Kayleigh Omang, American Ag Network
The North Dakota Corn Growers Association is working hard to get their opinions on the farm bill heard in Washington D.C. ND Corn Growers president Andrew Mauch shares his thoughts on the current state of the bill.
“I think the nice thing about it is they’re listening to our issues that we have down on the farm. So a lot of these issues are really going to hit home perfectly to what we’re trying to say, and trying to get through. Like a lot was said today, we want the farm bill done, so we can move forward, and know what we can do forward. But we want the right farm bill. So, we need to get it right and have bipartisan sponsorship so it works for everybody.”
And getting the farm bill right means a lot of things for Mauch.
“Crop insurance is a big thing for us. Being able to update that to more current standards, and conservation is a big part of that. We want to leave our land better than how we got it for the next generation. So we’re all about conservation, and those aspects that go into the farm bill for that, too. And that’s a big question with the current group that we have in DC, so that kind of works hand-in-hand.”
He says the biggest roadblock to getting the farm bill done is going to be finding the finances for it.
“A lot of the things that we are asking for, we want to work together to get the right product and be able to spend the money wisely. So it’s just finding the right tools to give and take a little bit and work together. And, and that’s the biggest thing I think, is working together to get the best product we possibly can to help the most Americans and most farmers.”
He wants farmers and ranchers to reach out and share their experiences.
“We’re a grassroots group and we want to know what’s going on down on your farm. And so if there’s something you see or something happening on your farm, we want to know about it so we can bring it up to legislators in DC and in Bismarck.”
To contact the North Dakota Corn Growers, visit ndcorn.org.