"This hearing is a good complement to the information we gathered during the April hearing on national credit conditions."
"I represent Cleveland and many of its eastern suburbs. So there are not a lot of farms in my district."
"We must continue to invest in our agricultural infrastructure to support our rural communities."
"I want to make sure that FSA is reaching out to minority farmers with adequate and equal credit."
"I appreciate these opportunities to learn some substance about the issues that will be relevant for the next iteration of the farm bill."
"It is important for us to find out today which programs have been implemented and are accomplishing our goal of a well-managed agency dedicated to forest stewardship."
"On one hand, the price of commodities like petroleum and oil have shot up over the past decade, so it is important for the U.S. as a nation to explore cheaper, cleaner, renewable fuel sources."
"Many of my constituents depend on food banks, and my food banks depend on locally grown produce."
"I want to ensure that FSA is meeting the needs of young and innovative producers who can fill these gaps."
"I would just suggest to you at this time of very difficult budget cuts to try to start something new that is unproven and not continue a program that is proven is a concern to me."
"I believe that you will find the incidence of the effects of these things that you just talked about are higher in communities that are minority communities."