Today, Senator Michael Bennet held a community meeting at the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District Office in Alamosa to discuss the recently passed Farm Bill, which he worked with Coloradans to help write and finalize. He also heard input on the next priorities for the state’s farmers and ranchers. 

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Bennet helped craft the Farm Bill with the help of Coloradans across the state.  He was also selected to serve on the conference committee convened to work out the differences between the House of Representatives and Senate versions of the bill.  Bennet helped ensure that Colorado priorities were in the final version of the Farm Bill, including a strengthened crop insurance program, improved conservation easements, reauthorization of the livestock disaster program, important forestry measures for reducing the risk of wildfires, and the continuation of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for Colorado counties.

“We traveled throughout the state to make sure that Colorado voices had a say in crafting this Farm Bill,” Bennet said. “While it isn’t perfect, we are happy that we were finally able to pass this bill and provide some needed certainty for our hardworking farmers and ranchers and our rural communities.”

This stop was one in a series of statewide community meetings Bennet is holding to share information about the final bill and discuss agriculture priorities for the future.  Bennet will visit Hayden and Delta tomorrow and Greeley on Friday.