ARC June Events
Our Better Practices conversation is already this Thursday. (The first Thursday always sneaks up.) This month is a little different. We will share what we know about the Rural Committee of the State Central Committee. The mission of the Rural Committee does not compete with the Ag and Rural Caucus but it is helpful that we know the direction of the State Party and the Rural Committee..
The series title is Better Practices, not Best Practices. We each have our own experience with what works well. Join us to learn from your colleagues and to share your own experience.
Don
June Schedule
6:30 pm Thursday 1 June
Better Practices roundtable
Rural Committee: Work Plan
Steve Verhey and You
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81582823697?pwd=V1FaVlV3Ly8xTHFBTTZZM1VxblVjQT09
6:30 pm Thursday 15 June
Policy Series
The Farm Bill: What is it, actually
Andy Juris, President, Washington Association of Wheat Growers
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419676203?pwd=NUo0NVVYOHU4Ky91RTYxa1Q0cjdXQT09
Better Practices
Rural Committee:
Steve Verhey and You
6:30 pm Thursday 1 June
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81582823697?pwd=V1FaVlV3Ly8xTHFBTTZZM1VxblVjQT09
Join us this Thursday evening to learn about the Rural Committee of the State Party.
Not the Ag and Rural Caucus, which is us, but the Rural Committee created by the State Party Chair.
Years ago, there was an Eastern Washington Committee. By custom, the State Vice-Chair chaired the committee. Valerie Rongey chaired the committee when I first attended the state meetings. As CD-5 representative to the state board, I stepped in for Valerie from time to time. It was very much an eastern Washington gathering. Recognizing that rural Washington was more than just LPO’s east of the mountains, the Eastern Washington Committee was re-constituted as the Rural Committee and co-chaired by Ron Wright from Wahkiakum County and Nancy Monacelli from Walla Walla. After a short existence the committee was again re-imagined. The last cycle and currently the committee has been chaired by Danielle Garbe Reser and Bennett Massey Helber, from CD-5 and CD-2, respectively.
Danielle and Bennett are both otherwise engaged Thursday evening and so cannot join us. Steve Verhey, who is on the committee, has graciously stepped up. He participated in the last central committee meeting and can share his impressions of the Rural Committee’s work plan.
Several of you also are members of the Rural Committee and can help Steve. Please consider yourselves part of the team.
The Farm Bill: What is actually?
6:30 pm Thursday 15 June
Andy Juris, President, Washington Association of Wheat Growers
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419676203?pwd=NUo0NVVYOHU4Ky91RTYxa1Q0cjdXQT09
You have all heard about “The Farm Bill”. Some of you know that it is hot right now. It is renewed every five years and this is the year.
You may also vaguely know that “The Farm Bill” is more about food stamps than crop insurance. For this you can thank Tom Foley, D-Wash CD5, and Bob Dole, R-Kansas, a generation ago. Foley and Dole lead the ag committees in the house and senate, and realized that farmers needed strong urban support for a farm bill to pass. They bought this support by rolling food stamps and food policy into the farm bill. You sometimes will hear farmers complaining that the farm bill seems to be more for the city folk than farmers and that we should have a clean farm bill. The linkage, though, of ag interests and urban food policy is what keeps farmers in business.
Times change and agriculture is again in the cross-hairs of conflicting interests. A question for us is whether the farm bill can be a useful instrument for financial security for farmers and also deal with a changing climate and suspicion of farm practices on the ground. Do we still have family farms? Are our soils being depleted by commercial ag practices? Can farmers save the world? Are farmers CO2 and CH4 villains? Or do we enjoy a residual of nostalgia and good will?
We will take up some of these issues with Andy. Andy helped us on our Solar Siting in Klickitat County session two years ago and has agreed to help us understand what is at stake with the Farm Bill.
Don
29 May 2023
Our Better Practices roundtable is on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.. Use the link above for 2023.
Our Policy Series is on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Use the link above for 2023.
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Our mailing address is: Ag and Rural Caucus 2921 Mud Creek Rd Waitsburg, WA 99361