On Monday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) – the top Democrat on the U.S. House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee as well as a member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee – visited Minor Brothers Farms in Sumter County to discuss the Farm Bill. He was joined by Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) and Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) who are the Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.

“Congressman Austin Scott, Congresswoman Shontel Brown, and I are working hard in Congress on a new Farm Bill,” said Congressman Bishop. “Meeting in the field with peanut and cotton farmers allowed us to hear from them and see, first-hand, the challenges they face producing the food and fiber that feeds America and clothes the world. We were able to have a frank, bipartisan conversation about the immediate need for economic assistance and swift passage of the Farm Bill as well as disaster relief our producers require following the recent hurricane.”

 “And of course, we were eager to join with them in discussing how Congress can provide urgent help,” added Congressman Bishop.

Congressman Bishop noted it is important for Members of Congress from other areas of the country to visit America’s farmers and producers in places like Middle and Southwest Georgia so that they are armed with sufficient information to support agriculture in the Farm Bill and get the nation’s farmers and producers the resources that they need.

“I appreciated the opportunity to visit Minor Brothers Farms in Sumter County with Congressman Bishop and Congressman Scott. My sincere thanks are extended to Congressman Bishop for welcoming me to his district to hear directly from peanut and cotton farmers. As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I will continue working with my colleagues to pass a Farm Bill that supports farmers and producers as well as people in need,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

Dick Minor, a Sumter County farmer, commented, “We were pleased to host Representatives Sanford Bishop, Austin Scott, and Shontel Brown this week at our farm. In addition to these Members of Congress, we had numerous agricultural organizations to participate in discussions involving the 2024 Farm Bill, agricultural economic assistance, H2A issues, and disaster relief for those that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. These Members hold senior positions for agricultural policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, and we appreciate their interest in bipartisan solutions to very important issues to the agricultural industry.”

The Farm Bill is the definitive law that governs food and agriculture policy by authorizing federal programs important to farmers, producers, nutrition programs, the agriculture industry, and rural development.

In May 2024, Congressman Bishop voted in support of the Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. In September, he sent a letter to House and Senate leaders and to the House Agriculture Committee leadership urging them to set aside differences and commit to pass a Farm Bill before the end of this Congress.

Among its many provisions, the bill increases reference prices for commodities and crop insurance payments to help stabilize income for farmers and protect them from market volatility. It also authorizes voluntary and locally led incentive-based conservation programs and global promotion of U.S. agriculture 

House Republican leaders have not scheduled the Farm Bill for a vote. Some Republicans and Democrats have raised budgetary concerns about the bill and the U.S. Senate is working on its own version of the Farm Bill. Congressman Bishop remains committed to working towards a bipartisan bill this year that will get the full support of the U.S. Congress and that can be signed into law by President Biden.