WASHINGTON (Sept. 10, 2012) – The “Farm Bill Now!” coalition will host a rally on U.S. Capitol grounds Wednesday morning to encourage Congress to pass a new, comprehensive, five-year farm bill before current farm programs expire at the end of September.
Leaders of the organizations representing the nation’s two largest general farm groups, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, will host the event.
The “Farm Bill Now!” rally, to take place at Union Square in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pond at 11 a.m., will feature members from the Senate and House of Representatives addressing the crowd, as well as leaders from a range of farm, conservation, energy, consumer and nutrition organizations.
Legislative members slated to speak at the rally include Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., ranking member of the Committee on Agriculture; and Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D.
Organizational speakers will include:
Fred Yoder, representative of 25x’25;
Daren Coppock, president and CEO of Agricultural Retailers Association;
Ambassador Tony P. Hall, executive director of Alliance to End Hunger;
Bob Stallman, president of American Farm Bureau Federation;
Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust;
Steve Wellman, president of American Soybean Association;
Gene Schmidt, president of National Association of Conservation Districts;
Bing Von Bergen, first vice president of National Association of Wheat Growers;
Sally Greenberg, executive director of National Consumers League;
Garry Niemeyer, president of National Corn Growers Association;
Roger Johnson, president of National Farmers Union;
Ken Nobis, president of Michigan Milk Producers Association;
Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at United Fresh Produce Association.
The event is endorsed by more than 80 organizations representing a broad range of associations and coalitions representing commodity crops, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, state and local governments, minor crops, energy and biobased product groups, farm cooperatives and financial groups.
For more information on efforts to raise awareness of the plight of the farm bill, please visit www.FarmBillNow.com.
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