Cooperatives to Congress: Get Farm Bill done now

Cooperative Network, a trade association representing the interests of hundreds of local cooperatives and millions of their member-owners in Minnesota and Wisconsin, is urging Congress to pass the Federal Agricultural Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) a compromise bill which passed the House Agriculture Committee on 35-11 bipartisan vote.

"Minnesota and Wisconsin farmers need the certainty of a new Farm Bill to begin planning for next year's cropping season and to respond to this year's adverse weather," said Bill Oemichen, president and CEO of Cooperative Network.

He continued, "The House Agriculture Committee took budget reduction seriously and has built in budget savings throughout the life of FARRM. By extending the current Farm Bill, the budget saving would not be realized."

Current federal farm programs expire in September unless they are re-authorized by Congress.

Cooperative Network serves more than 600 member-cooperatives, owned by more than 6.1 million Minnesota and Wisconsin residents, by providing government relations, education, marketing, and technical services for a wide variety of cooperatives including farm supply, health, dairy marketing, consumer, financial, livestock marketing, telecommunications, electric, housing, insurance, worker-owned, and more.

For more information about Cooperative Network, visit www.cooperativenetwork.coop.