{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=49CCEDA3-1C21-43BE-BE53-0BAED9066EF6", "Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for North Dakotas Specialty Crop Industry", "2016-10-18", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, announced over $2.5 million in federal funding to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture to support 28 projects in the state that will research, develop, and promote specialty crops \u2013 such as peas, dry beans and flax \u2013 in North Dakota.\r\n\u201cStanding up for North Dakota\u2019s farmers and ranchers is a top priority of mine in the U.S. Senate, and research investments in particular are a top priority for me going into the next Farm Bill,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cAs our state\u2019s agricultural industry continues to diversify, we must support specialty crops through research and development so that farmers are able to reduce their cost, increase yields, and get their crops to market. This federal funding announced today will help economies grow by improving the production of locally grown crops and getting them to consumers\u2019 tables in North Dakota and across the globe.\u201d\r\nThese federal funds are authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill, which Heitkamp helped write, negotiate, and pass. The federal grants are made available through the U.S. Department Agriculture\u2019s Agricultural Marketing Service\u2019s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and will specifically provide federal funding to universities, like North Dakota State University, and other agricultural organizations that will bolster the development and competitiveness of specialty crops, including the study of plant disease that can destroy dry pea and lentil crops and promoting the trade of crops grown in North Dakota to other countries. A full list of the projects and descriptions can be found here.\r\nSince the 2014 Farm Bill became law Heitkamp has been working to make sure it is implemented properly by meeting with farmers and ranchers throughout the state, like she recently did with a two-day tour of North Dakota\u2019s agricultural industry. Heitkamp took this opportunity to hear directly from farmers and ranchers about what is working for them in the current Farm Bill and what she can do to fight for a stronger Farm Bill in 2018.", 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.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=49CCEDA3-1C21-43BE-BE53-0BAED9066EF6"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0243989527225494, "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"}