Table being set for upcoming U.S. Farm Bill, with plenty at stake for hunters and anglers

In early August at Farmfest in Redwood Falls, eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, including five from Minnesota, fielded questions – some sharper than others – about the next federal Farm Bill. The current $867 billion Farm Bill, passed in 2018, expires at month’s end, and a new bill is a top congressional priority amid other pressing issues, including passing a federal budget. At the forum, House members heard from corn farmers and biofuel supporters, dairy farmers, and nutrition-program advocates. All have stakes in a new Farm Bill that funds their pet programs. But few questions revolved around farmland conservation and the voluntary conservation programs that are important to hunters, anglers, and conservationists.