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Conservation discussions starting for 2018 farm bill

Dave White

Discussions for conservation funding in the 2018 Farm Bill are starting now.

Former NRCS Chief Dave White tells Brownfield the same budget climate that surrounded the 2014 Farm Bill still exists and securing funding for conservation will be a battle.  “Agriculture really needs to start letting those members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees start getting their ideas, to start sitting down in your organizations and this is what we need, or what we’d like, or we’d like this changed, or we want rid of that, or we want something new—they need to start formulating those types of ideas now so they’ll be ready come next year.”  He says he expects Congress will start to focus on the farm bill early next year.

White says matter who wins the White House, facing and adapting to erratic climates will continue to be an important issue for all of agriculture.  “We’re seeing more extreme weather events and how do we make sure we still have good crops every year when you don’t know if you’re in middle or a drought or a flood or some wacky weather system?”

He says local conservation districts are vital during a time of regulatory uncertainty, a growing world population and erratic climate change.

White spoke with Brownfield during the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts Summer Conference in Bay City, Michigan.

AUDIO: Interview with Dave White

  • Best chief NRCS ever had. Hopefully he will be much involved with development of the new Farm Bill.

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