Sen. Brown Staff Delivers 2012 Farm Bill Briefing at Ohio Grain Farmers Symposium in Lima

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At yesterday’s Ohio Grain Farmers Symposium, staff from the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) delivered a briefing on expectations for the 2012 Farm Bill. The U.S. Senate will begin hearings to craft the upcoming Farm Bill in January, as the 112^th Congress convenes. The annual symposium, sponsored by the Ohio Corn Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association, and Ohio Wheat Growers Association, was held in Lima yesterday.

“Ohio agriculture has a rich history and a bright future.  The Farm Bill supports Ohio farmers and invests in rural communities. It funds infrastructure in rural communities, provides new incentives to protect our natural resources, develops local markets for family farmers, helps struggling families put food on the table, and promotes healthy diets,” Brown said. “I will continue to work on behalf of Ohio farmers to strengthen the 2012 Farm Bill.”

Brown has held more 160 roundtables throughout the state, including a weeklong series of roundtables focused exclusively on agriculture. After meeting with farmers, Brown took their ideas to Washington and crafted the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program.   The ACRE program, which was included in the 2008 Farm Bill, helps protect agricultural producers from low prices and yield declines.  In October 2010, Sen. Brown announced that payments were made available through the ACRE program.

In July of 2008, Brown received the President’s Award from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) for his work on the 2008 farm bill. The award is given each year to a single member of Congress who has actively worked and raised awareness on grower issues. Brown is a past recipient of the “Friend of Farm Bureau” Award from the Ohio Farm Bureau and the “Golden Triangle” Award from the Ohio Farmers Union. These awards are given to members of Congress who have supported issues important to Ohio agriculture.

Brown chairs the U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms. He is the first Ohioan in more than 40 years to serve on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

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