Chellie Pingree: “I thank my colleague Mr. McGovern for yielding me the time and doing such a wonderful job on a very challenging bill.…”

“I thank my colleague Mr. McGovern for yielding me the time and doing such a wonderful job on a very challenging bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to the current version of the farm bill. There are many reasons why--among them, the unrealistic challenges to food assistance programs that will have a big negative impact on my State in Maine. What I want to focus on in my limited time is how much this legislation does a disservice to the farmers in rural communities we represent. The public is very clear. They want greater access to healthy, locally grown food. They want more of it grown organically, and they want to support local farmers in rural economies. But Federal policy is way behind the times, and this legislation would make it much worse. Farmers aren't ignoring the trends that consumers are asking us for. They are capitalizing on them. In my State, the changing market and the demand for locally grown and organic food has reinvigorated the State's agriculture economy. Josh Girard, who is pictured here, is one of those farmers. After earning a master's degree, working abroad in the Peace Corps, and apprenticing at local farms, Josh decided to return to his hometown to start his own farm. The small sources of Federal support available to farmers like Josh pale in comparison to what commodity farmers receive, but it can make all of the difference. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poliquin). The time of the gentlewoman has expired. Mr.…”