Kaptur statement on House passage of bipartisan Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Dean of the Ohio Delegation, released the following statement after the passage of the bipartisan Farm Bill by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 passed the Senate yesterday and it now heads to the President's desk.

"One of our government's most important duties is to ensure that our agriculture sector and our farmers have the resources they need to feed our nation," said Kaptur. "I am pleased that a bipartisan agreement on the Farm Bill provides forward-thinking support for American producers through mandatory investments in research, urban agriculture and local and regional food systems."

Kaptur has pushed for a comprehensive effort to invest in urban agriculture through her bill, the Urban Agriculture Production Act, and was instrumental in making sure urban agriculture was a priority in this Farm Bill. In the bill, innovative and high-tech production will be supported by a newly created Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. The office will serve as a policy and program development hub for non-traditional operations.

Additionally, the agreement continues conservation programming, especially important in the Western Lake Erie Watershed where such programs have been used to address nutrient run-off and control erosion.

"Though this is a good step, we still have more work to do to improve water quality in Lake Erie and regional tributaries," Kaptur continued. "Conservation programming remains a critical management tool as we work toward meeting our goals of healing Lake Erie."

"With this final bipartisan agreement Congress has provided stability to our farmers and businesses, fortifying our commitment to protecting our environment and making sure that families, and especially children who are struggling, don't go hungry," Kaptur concluded.

Read more about the bill here.