Food security internal link with negative warrants lol

Ongoing drought has farmers concerned about their crops and livestock this year, and the future may bring even greater disasters that could affect our sustainability. Inflation and interest rates have farmers concerned about inputs and land costs today — and how that affects their family farms tomorrow. The pandemic showed us how vulnerable our society is to food insecurity, even those who never faced it before.

There is no guarantee that we couldn’t see greater challenges in the next five years that would test the farm bill’s safety net functionality.

The people’s bill

The 2018 Farm Bill has 12 titles. Each one has some impact on our families, our farms and our communities.

It could be argued — and I have in the past — that of all the bills that get passed on Capitol Hill, this one alone has more impact on our local lives than any others. If you drill down into the farm bill, it’s probably the bill that covers the majority of Americans, no matter their political affiliation, their district or any other identifying characteristic.

It's bigger than politics. It’s the people’s bill. A bill that provides for our environmental, social and nutritional security.

Imperfect as it can be, that’s what I always took away from hearing Roberts and Flinchbaugh talk about the Farm Bill. As a Kansan, I took comfort that Roberts could be that measured, wiser voice of reason for the farmer’s side. And, as a K-Stater, I always appreciated Flinchbaugh’s tell-it-like-it-is bluntness about the process and why nutrition and farm programs are tied together.

They left awfully big shoes to fill. But I have faith that people they trained indeed listened and learned. I have hope that measured voices will emerge in the coming months, reminding others that the farm bill is bigger than politics.