BTW Alumni to host Community Farm Bill Outreach Program
The National BTW Alumni & Ex-Students Educational Association will host two public forums focusing on educating Falls County residents on the impact of the 2023 Farm Bill on their day to day lives.
The forums will be March 9 and March 16 at 6 p.m. and will be held at the BTW Alumni Building, 219 Falls St. in Marlin.
The Farm Bill is a massive piece of federal legislative and services as the primary agricultural and food policy instrument for the federal government.
The 2018 Farm Bill authorized an estimated spending of $876 billion over 10 years. Congress deals with the renewal and revision of this bill every five years. The average citizen in rural America has limited knowledge or input into the Farm Bill process.
Major agriculture groups around the U.S. regularly collect input from their stakeholders to make certain they have a voice in how the billions of dollars are spent. Billy Lawton, CEO of the Texas Coalition of Rural Landowners, an advocacy group that supports rural landowners in Texas states that: “The Farm Bill affects not just farmers and ranchers but every person in both urban and rural America. Over 75 percent of the funds allocated in the Farm Bill supports nutritional programs such as SNAP, school lunches, housing, and rural business development programs.”
Featured speakers from USDA and other local agencies will address elements of the Farm Bill that affects a broad range of individuals and seek their input on how these programs can be enhanced to bring more value to their lives.
The March 9 speakers are Taylor Hand, USDA Farm Service Agency and Todnechia Mitchell, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Reva Outland, South Plains Community Action Assn. (WIC), Brenda Widner, USDA Rural Development and Rosondra Hartsfield, PVAMU Cooperative Extension program will speak at the March 16 forum.
Lawton will speak at both forums. Information on USDA grants, loans, nutritional and housing programs that can assist in farming or ranching and performing home repairs will be available. Door prizes will be offered at both meetings.
For more information, call Lawton at (210) 849-4323 or email bclawton.ag@yahoo.com.