Washington, DC - House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03) today announced a series of field hearings on the 2012 Farm Bill that will take place throughout the country in March and April, with the second hearing to take place on March 23rd in Galesburg, Illinois in the district of Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17). This hearing will give members of the Agriculture Committee the opportunity to hear firsthand from Illinois farmers and regional stakeholders about their priorities for the next farm bill.
"This field hearing represents a great opportunity for folks on the Agriculture Committee to come out to Illinois and meet with the 'final three feet' - our area's farmers and producers- to get their input on policies that will allow the U.S. to continue to yield affordable and high-quality food products for our friends and families," Schilling said. "Many thanks to Chairman Lucas and staff on the Committee for recognizing our area's invaluable agricultural contributions to our food supply. From crop insurance to conservation and rural development to research, this next farm bill represents a great opportunity for rural America and I'm proud that Illinois' 17th District will be one of the settings for this debate."
"I am pleased to announce a farm bill field hearing in Congressman Schilling's district," Chairman Lucas said. "This will be a great opportunity to meet members of the agriculture community in his district, recognize the contributions our farmers make for this nation and around the world, and discuss the challenges our producers continue to face. We need more members like Congressman Schilling who understand and appreciate agriculture because now, more than ever, it is important that we stand strongly together in support of production agriculture and rural economies."
The schedule of upcoming field hearings can be found below. For those unable to attend the hearings, the Agriculture Committee plans to provide a live webcast here.
Friday, March 9, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. EST
North Country Community College, Sparks Athletic Complex
23 Santanoni Ave
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Friday, March 23, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Carl Sandburg College, Student Center Building B
2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd.
Galesburg, IL 61401
Friday, March 30, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Riceland Hall, Fowler Center
Arkansas State University
201 Olympic Drive
State University, AR 72467
Friday, April 20, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Magouirk Conference Center
4100 W. Comanche
Dodge City, KS 67801
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