The Growing Climate Solutions Act... would serve as a foundation for setting standards and certification criteria.

The USDA's Economic Research Service put out a report in March predicting an up to five percent increase in food prices this year.

But, it is like the line from The Right Stuff, 'No bucks, no Buck Rogers,' and what goes into the program goes out in terms of education and outreach and also funding.

the benefits for new farmers to get to that next step, whether it is buying the tractor, buying the land, that capital is so important

And as we turn towards the 2023 Farm Bill, I am especially interested in examining the ways that we can improve flexibilities for those who rely on SNAP to put food on the table, and I am particularly interested in discussion related to…

the complexity of those definitions can lead to wasted time for our local leaders.

there is this substantial unmet need for connecting farmers with the technical assistance that the USDA and FSA programs provide

A failure to address these basic infrastructure needs for charging in rural communities really will lead towards a future where communities will be left behind.

This hearing presents an opportunity for us to discuss what is working and what can work better as we look ahead to the 2023 Farm Bill.

TEFAP is a great program. We support it 100 percent. We want to see additional funding because that food is a lifeline, in particular for smaller food banks serving smaller communities.

I am on the phone almost daily with my European Union partners.

Congress should provide USDA a three- to five-fold increase in new funding for conservation programs.

If farmers are to be part of solving climate challenges, they need to rely on proven science, accurate data, and standardization.

Thank you so very much, Mr. Chairman. And to our witnesses, I thank you so much for your time for being with us today.

We do think there are a couple of flexibilities that could be pursued as part of the farm bill...

The Climate Stewardship Act calls for nearly doubling the Conservation Reserve Program to 40 million acres a year.

our farmers and producers are the original conservationists, and they are the climate heroes.

A significant increase in conservation funding is the quickest strategy to immediately increase conservation adoption.

We spend a lot of money on a lot of programs in Congress. Programs that feed people have to be included in those numbers.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, and thank you for bringing greater clarity to your answer and in raising awareness about having local steps for raising concerns or bringing challenges.

It is so exciting to be here today with our friend and former colleague and Under Secretary for Rural Development.

I urge my colleagues in the House and the Senate to heed the pleas from our local school districts, take up the bipartisan legislation, Keeping School Meals Flexible Act (H.R. 6613), to extend these waivers.

So, we really have to make sure that our programs reach farmers of all sizes from the largest that we have in our country to the smallest family farms that that we serve.

I introduced the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Farmers Act (H.R. 6390) alongside my colleague Republican Member Congressman Rice from South Carolina.

We look forward to working with you to find ways to make these programs work for young, beginning, and BIPOC farmers.