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Cong. Fudge receives committee assignments

January 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11) has been assigned to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight and Nutrition in the 113th Congress. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over SNAP (food stamps), nutrition, consumer programs, special investigations and oversight of the USDA.

“I look forward to enhanced jurisdiction over areas vitally important to constituents of the 11th District including SNAP, nutrition and a cause I have long championed, reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity,” said Congresswoman Fudge. “I welcome the opportunity to protect their interests in my committee assignments.”

Congresswoman Fudge will also serve on the Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture. The subcommittee’s responsibilities include, fruits and vegetables, honey and bees, market and promotion orders, adulteration of seeds and insect pests and foreign agriculture assistance.

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

NRCS begins pilot program in Cleveland

August 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A high tunnel pilot project for urban farmers in Cleveland was announced on Monday by 11th District Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. The Congresswoman tells Brownfield the high tunnels will extend the growing season for urban farmers, while helping increase the availability of locally grown produce.

“But primarily it’s about nutrition,” said Representative Fudge. “It’s about feeding people, it’s about letting people know that I care, that USDA cares and that we are going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that we make our communities healthier and safer places.”

NRCS Chief Dave White, in Cleveland for the announcement, says more than 50 applications were received in the initial round of funding from NRCS.

“We now have about 22 of these high tunnels that are going to be going in, in various parts of Cleveland that are going to be producing healthy foods for the local community, it’s going to be jobs and it’s going to be done in an environmentally sound manner,” said White.

In addition to the high tunnel pilot project, Congresswoman Fudge also announced that Agribank, CoBank and Farm Credit Services of Mid-America presented a $135,000 donation to support beginning urban farmers through the City of Cleveland’s ‘Gardening for Greenbacks’ program.

The Farm Credit donation will fund grants of up to $5,000 to acquire equipment such as tools, irrigation equipment and fencing.

Audio: Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and NRCS Chief Dave White (7:05 mp3)

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Congresswoman Fudge holds listening session

May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Marcia Fudge, Ohio’s 11th District Congresswoman and member of the House Agriculture Committee participated in a Farm Bill listening session on Wednesday, May 23, in Geauga County.

“Certainly as a new member of the Committee, the listening forum was especially important because it really did give me more background and more date to actually go in and be knowledgeable about many of the things we are fighting for in the State of Ohio,” said the Congresswoman.

The Congresswoman tells Brownfield a very diverse group of agricultural stakeholders, from traditional farmers, to urban farmers, provided her with some valuable information, including the need for a safety net.

“From our urban gardeners and urban farmers they talked about access to some of the same resources that have heretofore gone to primarily traditional farmers and how they become more involved in urban gardening and urban farming,” Fudge said. “It was a good cross section, but there were some themes that crossed all 14 of the presentations.”

When it comes to writing the 2012 Farm Bill, Congresswoman Fudge believes a bill will get done and that some of the differences may not be as big of an issue as what some believe.

“The biggest obstacle is where we make the deepest cuts,” the House Ag Committee member said. “I don’t think crop insurance is going to be our problem and I honestly don’t believe that nutrition programs are going to be as big an issue as some people believe.”

Audio: Congresswoman Fudge, Ohio’s 11th District (6:55 mp3)

The Farm Bill listening session was sponsored by the Ohio Farm Bureau, The Cleveland Foodbank and the Farm Credit Bureau.

Filed Under: News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , ,