Agriculture
Washington’s 1st Congressional District has a thriving agriculture industry that plays a key role in our local economy. Our district in particular has some of the most fertile agricultural land in the Pacific Northwest. We have thousands of farms that grow a large variety of fruits and vegetables and we are home to a number of dairy farms.
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I will be a tireless advocate on behalf of our local farmers and food producers. I will fight for the inclusion of programs that support specialty crops, cutting edge research, conservation of our forests, trade, and job-creating investments that ensure we have a vibrant local agricultural industry in western Washington. In addition, I will ensure that we update policy to support our dairy farmers.
I was proud to introduce a bipartisan resolution with support from Members of Congress around the country that emphasizes the importance of specialty crops. Specialty crops are a growing and increasingly significant part of agriculture, accounting for about half of the value of U.S. crop production in a given year, but they are not discussed nearly as much as some of the more traditional commodities.
Our nation’s farmers depend on Congress to create sound agriculture policy and they deserve a long-term farm bill that gives them the certainty to plan for the future.
More on Agriculture
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) announced that the Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network has been awarded $88,444 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support its efforts to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and growers. The grant is part of USDA’s Farm to School Program.
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene praised an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that $4.2 million in grants were awarded to Washington state through the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program.
The federal Food and Drug Administration is shelving a proposed change that threatened to end beer-makers' ability to give away their soggy, used-up grains to farmers for livestock feed.
The decision formally announced last week leaves intact a long-standing practice that saves micro-brewers the cost of hauling spent grains to landfills and gives farmers a nutritious source of food for their bovines.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene announced the start of a new risk management program for dairy farmers, known as the dairy Margin Protection Program, that she worked to include in the 5-year Farm Bill extension that passed earlier this year. This voluntary program allows dairy farmers to take steps to protect their business from economic risks beyond their control.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene welcomed an announcement from U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today that the USDA will begin taking applications from states for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) pilot program, which was included by Rep. DelBene in the Farm Bill reauthorization enacted earlier this year. The provision is based on a bill Rep. DelBene introduced called the Enhancing Employment and Training Through Education Act of 2013 (H.R. 1929).
EVERETT — What beer makers don't want, farmers do.
It's those soggy used-up grains, a by-product of the brewing process, that farmers relish as feed for their livestock.
Brewers give the grain away to those willing to pick it up. This practice, considered sustainable and environmentally responsible, has gone on for years without interference from government.
But a federal agency is pondering changes in how animal feed is handled, and brewers, farmers and federal lawmakers are worried it could seriously crimp, or even end, the long-standing practice.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The federal delegation representing Snohomish County called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Snohomish County to assist farmers who have been affected by the State Route 530 mudslide.
WASHINGTON, DC – Governor Jay Inslee today announced his decision to preserve existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for over 200,000 Washington households by providing additional assistance to those who participate in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement:
MOUNT VERNON — A significant piece of the federal farm bill for Skagit County agriculture is the increased and permanent funding for specialty crop research and grant programs.
The bill is the first to provide long-term investments for the programs and raises funding 50 percent over levels offered in the last farm legislation, providing $80 million per year to the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and $72.5 million per year, to start, for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US Senate today passed a five-year Farm Bill by a vote of 68-32. The bill includes a number of reforms that will reduce the deficit by over $16 billion, with much of the savings coming from reforms to agricultural subsidies, such as the elimination of direct payments.