Agriculture

As an Iowa farmer, I use a common sense approach to promoting small and independent farmers as a senior Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Agriculture is the foundation of Iowa’s economy as we are a leader in corn, pork, soybean, and egg production, as well as renewable energy sources.

During the 112th Congress, I will serve as Ranking Member of the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee. This Subcommittee is responsible for commodities exchanges and CFTC oversight, all commodity programs and markets related to corn and soybeans, and crop insurance/insert other explanations. I will also be serving on the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee.  

Over the course of the next two years, I will work hard with my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to work toward a 2012 Farm Bill that protects Iowa’s farmers and producers by providing them with a stable safety net and investing in conservation, nutrition, and renewable energy.

I believe that we must continue to work to increased value-added products such as renewable fuel, encourage the use of locally grown products, and promote new markets for our agricultural sector. As your Congressman, I will continue to support agricultural policies in the 112^th Congress that assures American consumers we have the safest, most plentiful, and most affordable food supply in the world.

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• April 27, 2012 - Boswell Statement on Dept. of Labor's Youth Farm Work Decision

“I am pleased the Department of Labor stopped pursing the issue of limiting youth work on the family farm. Reasoned heads prevailed,” Boswell said. “There are better, already existing educational resources through farm groups to educate and promote safety for young farm hands. I will work with those groups to keep farm workers of all ages safe.”

• April 18, 2012 - Boswell Defends Vital Nutrition Program Benefitting Iowa's Children and Seniors

“This is going far above and beyond what is necessary – and previously agreed to by a bipartisan panel last year – to meet budget requirements,” Boswell said. “These proposed drastic cuts to our nutrition programs that feed millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands in Iowa, will greatly hurt our economic recovery.”

• March 30, 2012 - Boswell, Crawford Introduce Bill to Prevent USDA Farm Service Agency Office Closures

“While we recognize tough decisions have to be made due to funding levels established by the last Farm Bill, I also believe we must arrive at those decisions in a fair and prudent manner to minimize the negative impact on our producers. The USDA’s approach to deciding which offices to close was flawed because the year prior the Department had implemented an early retirement plan and offices were under a hiring freeze, therefore staffing levels for many offices were below normal,” Boswell said. “I believe that any decision to close these offices must include an assessment of county workload to ensure that the needs of our producers are met and our conservation goals are maintained.”

• March 23, 2012 - Boswell Participates in Farm Bill Hearing Today

“Today I heard from producers across the Midwest who share my sentiments that a farm bill must provide a support system with a strong conservation title that enables farmers and ranchers to continue to provide the safest, most plentiful and affordable food supply in the world. All Americans have a vested interest in their success,” Boswell said.

• March 12, 2012 - Boswell Calls on USDA to Reconsider Office Closures

“Since the initial announcement of the Farm Service Agency office closures, I’ve been consulting with and questioning USDA officials on their consolidation plan. While I understand cuts have to be made, I believe these closures would unfairly impact producers in southern Iowa. These farms have a history of diversity, which the land they work on calls for. The variety of crops and livestock raised in southern Iowa requires local offices to be familiar with a wide variety of programs. For both production and compliance, our farmers deserve reliable access to experts at local FSA offices..."

• February 29, 2012 - Boswell: Let's Focus on the Farm Bill

“I understand and support the need for Congressional oversight, but I believe that we must also get to business and tend to our responsibility to craft a 2012 Farm Bill before this October,” Boswell said. “Farmers, ranchers and producers in all of our states and districts expect a farm bill to provide foresight for the upcoming planting seasons and overall business operations. We must work to maintain a stable farm economy as well as affordable food for the American public.”

 

To follow progress on the 2012 Farm Bill and other agriculture issues, visit our committee website.

Additional links:

• Recent news & press releases
• Hearings & meetings schedule 
• Live audio/video of Agriculture Committee hearings and meetings

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