BROWN VISITS LOCAL FRUIT FARM, DISCUSSES LOCAL FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS, FARM BILL PRIORITIES AT ROUNDTABLE

Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited Patterson Fruit Farm in Chesterland to host a roundtable discussion with local farmers, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and agriculture stakeholders to discuss how to best secure and shorten food supply chains and learn what priorities Ohio farmers have for the 2023 Farm Bill. Brown, the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 50 years, will help write the upcoming Farm Bill.

"We know how important farming is to our state -- 1 in 7 Ohioans depend on agriculture for their jobs, and Ohio farmers are some of the most productive in the world," said Brown. "We've seen during the pandemic how long supply chains that stretch around the world can cause inflation. In the next Farm Bill, I want to make it easier for farmers to feed their communities and for consumers to buy local Ohio food and farm products, and keep money where it belongs: here in our communities."

"With all of the unique challenges facing agriculture today, the next Farm Bill will be of utmost importance for Ohio farmers," said Ohio Farm Bureau President, and owner of Patterson Farms, Bill Patterson. "We appreciate Senator Brown taking the time to sit down with Ohio Farm Bureau members to discuss the concerns of the agricultural community and using our input to shape the next chapter of farm policy in Washington."

Brown has long been a leader for Ohio's rural communities. Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Brown held roundtables around Ohio to hear from farmers and rural communities about what they wanted to see in the bill, and successfully secured a number of Ohio-specific provisions that were important to the state's farmers.

Brown also discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit Ohio agriculture, rural development conservation, and urban forestry.

Source