{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=1122b007-e869-4a33-9848-37179fdaf410", "COCHRAN, USDA ORGANIZE FARM BILL & CROP INSURANCE LISTENING SESSIONS", "2014-10-15", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Thad Cochran", "C000567", "www.cochran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and staff with the Senate Agriculture Committee and the office of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) have scheduled two listening sessions at which agriculture producers in Mississippi can provide input and ask questions about new programs authorized in the Agricultural Act of 2014.\r\nCochran staff, U.S. Risk Management Agency Administrator Brandon Willis and Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini will be available during the listening sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Stoneville and Verona.\r\n\u201cI want to ensure that our producers remain well-positioned to meet the needs of our nation and a growing world population.\u00a0 Agriculture is critically important to our state's economy, and throughout my time in Congress I have worked to improve programs for farmers.\u00a0 One way to facilitate program participation and improvement is to provide producers the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture who administer farm and risk management programs,\u201d Cochran said.\r\nA morning listening session is scheduled for 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., Oct. 29, at the Delta Research & Extension Center (Capps Center) in Stoneville.\u00a0 The second session is slated for 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center (conference room) in Verona.\r\nCochran, ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, structured the meetings to receive additional input\u2014and offer information to producers\u2014as the USDA continues its implementation of a new suite of commodity and risk management programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA).\r\nFarmers, ranchers, county representatives and interested citizens are encouraged to participate and ask USDA officials about new and existing risk management tools, and to offer guidance on where USDA efforts should be focused going forward.\r\n\u201cI am pleased that USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator Brandon Willis and Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini will be in Mississippi to discuss the new farm bill programs and potential improvements to the federal crop insurance program.\u201d Cochran said.\u00a0 \u201cThese new commodity programs along with the new and existing federal crop insurance programs are important risk management tools for farmers and ranchers nationwide.\u00a0 Input from producers in Mississippi will be valuable as we strive to ensure that these risk management programs are effective.\u201d\r\nAs ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Cochran was a principal negotiator this year on the bipartisan and bicameral conference committee that was tasked with bringing together two very different versions of the farm bill passed by the House and Senate.\u00a0 The enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 culminated years of hearings, debate and negotiations to develop a new five-year law to improve on the 2008 farm bill.\r\nFor more information regarding the listening sessions, contact Chris Gallegos, 202-224-5054 or chris_gallegos@cochran.senate.gov\r\n___\r\nWHO:\u00a0 U.S. Senator Thad Cochran\u2019s Office, Risk Management Agency Administrator Brandon Willis and Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini\r\nWHAT:\u00a0 Farm Bill & Crop Insurance Listening Session\r\nWHEN:\u00a0 Wednesday, October 29\r\nWHERE:\u00a0 Stoneville and Verona, Mississippi\r\n9:00-11:00 a.m. \u2013 Delta Research & Extension Center (Capps Center), 82 Stoneville Road, Stoneville\r\n3:00-5:00 p.m. \u2013 North Mississippi Research & Extension Center (conference room), 5421 Highway 145 S, Verona\r\nCONTACT:\u00a0 Chris Gallegos, 202-224-5054 or chris_gallegos@cochran.senate.gov\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=1122b007-e869-4a33-9848-37179fdaf410"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7820760365575552, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}