{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=11D1A454-F5F1-49AA-AB4A-81A79A8E2D70", "Weekly Column: Where the Farm Bill Stands", "2016-09-30", "2016", "2016-09", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Rep. Kristi Noem \r\n\tIt\u2019s hard to believe fall is already here, although take just one step out the door and the temperature will remove all doubts.\u00a0 For most of my life, this time of year meant hours in the combine.\u00a0 I loved it and it\u2019s one of the things I miss most these days. While the wheat harvest is wrapped up, soybeans and sunflowers are just getting started \u2013 and corn will be right behind.\u00a0 While some areas are seeing good yields, others were hit by drought or hail damage.\u00a0 Even high yields will not be enough to offset the low prices we are seeing in the markets.\r\nThese lower commodity prices have weakened farm income, worsened credit conditions, and pushed down the value of cropland by between 3 and 5 percent from a year ago, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City\u2019s August report.\u00a0\r\nIt\u2019s no secret that farming has always been an unpredictable way of life.\u00a0But farmers are resilient and optimistic.\u00a0 You have to be. After all, it might be the only industry where most people take out massive loans at the beginning of a year \u2013 only to bury that money in the ground in the form of seed, fertilizer, and herbicide.\u00a0 We pray it produces a good yield and that someone will actually pay us a fair price for what we\u2019ve grown.\u00a0 That level of unpredictability is why the Farm Bill is so important.\r\nI had the opportunity to be a member of the final negotiating team during the 2014 Farm Bill debate.\u00a0 With only 29 members of the House and Senate having backgrounds in farming or ranching, it was a challenge to pass.\u00a0 Nonetheless, we were able to finalize legislation that maintained strong risk-management programs for crop producers, strengthened livestock disaster programs, protected our native grasslands, and invested in ag-related research.\u00a0\r\nTwo years later, we\u2019re still focused on making sure the Farm Bill is implemented correctly and fairly.\u00a0 We\u2019re also looking forward, getting input on how to improve the legislation during the next go-around.\u00a0\r\nOne of the things we\u2019re looking at is how to improve the commodity safety net.\u00a0 We know there have been concerns over the current commodity programs.\u00a0 As a result, we\u2019re again collecting feedback from farmers about the kind of system that would be most helpful to get through tough times.\r\nWe are also working to re-evaluate some of the processes in place for producers. For example, the wetland determinations process has resulted in a tremendous backlog.\u00a0 I am working with the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, Collin Peterson, and North Dakota Representative Kevin Cramer on legislation to address this backlog and enact permanent reforms that make the determination process more efficient, accountable, and transparent.\r\nFinally, we\u2019re looking to strengthen the conservation programs needed to protect vulnerable habitats as well as prime hunting and fishing grounds.\u00a0 This includes CRP.\u00a0 Only 101 acres were accepted in South Dakota during the last general sign up, which is much lower than in previous years. I am looking for feedback from producers about how we can make that program more targeted and successful.\r\nThe next few years could be tough for many in agriculture \u2013 even with strong yields. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical we have farm programs that provide a safety net, not just for the producer, but for the food supply on which our families rely.", 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": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=11D1A454-F5F1-49AA-AB4A-81A79A8E2D70"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4980181585997343, "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"}