Robert P. Casey Jr.

Pennsylvania’s proud agriculture tradition helped to build the Commonwealth and agriculture continues to drive our economy. Agriculture remains Pennsylvania’s number one industry.

I am honored to represent Pennsylvania’s interests as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. This is an especially important time to serve on the Agriculture Committee as the Congress will debate legislation to outline U.S. farm policy for the next five years.

Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s top economic sector and Pennsylvania is a large state, but we still do not get equitable treatment under USDA programs.

We are an under-served state when it comes to crop insurance coverage.

We are an under-served state for conservation programs; receiving only about $20 million annually when funding for the programs is combined.

Our fruit and vegetable growers receive only marginal assistance even though specialty crops account for about 51% of all agricultural farm receipts.

Our family dairy farmers struggle to make ends meet while their costs of production soar.

There is no one thing that we must do to make the Farm Bill more equitable. Rather, we must work to shift the priorities from Midwestern grains exclusively to the varied agricultural priorities for all regions of the country.

My goal is to improve the programs in the Farm Bill so that they help the people of Pennsylvania. I am working to: create a Specialty Crops Title for the first time in a federal Farm Bill; preserve farm land and open space in Pennsylvania; ensure that helping Pennsylvania’s farmers restore the Chesapeake Bay is a priority in USDA conservation programs; increase Food Stamps benefits and other nutrition programs so that Pennsylvanians in urban centers can purchase more food for their families; and ensure Pennsylvania can help increased farm-grown renewable fuels for commodities that we have like switch grass and wood by-products.

I am optimistic about the chance that we have to shape the Farm Bill in a way that will keep Pennsylvania farmers productive, competitive and successful.