September 2023 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Farm bills and
apple crops
I
t's mid-August as I write this, so what happens with the farm bill still
remains to be seen, with likely drama on the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (food stamps) and
climate change on the agenda as the 2018
Farm Bill races to obsolescence at the end
of September.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman
Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., in midAugust
voiced doubts the 2023 Farm Bill
will be passed by the Sept. 30 deadline,
a conclusion many pundits have been
suggesting for months. The House and
Senate ag committees haven't advanced
bills yet, and there needs to be floor
debates, which will compete with time for
other appropriations bills.
A delay isn't out of the ordinary, especially
in recent years. A farm bill in 1995 was bumped to 1996, the 2012 Farm Bill
became the 2014 Farm Bill and the most recent legislation became law in
December 2018, more than 2.5 months after the deadline.
So while there are many uncertain elements, one thing is for sure: this
is the last farm bill for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who started her
second stint as the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition
and Forestry in early 2021. Stabenow, who has led the writing of more farm
bills than any other member of Congress, announced plans to retire; her
current term ends in February 2024.
In early August, the Michigan Pomesters named Stabenow as its 2023
Michigan Fruit Person of the Year at its annual Ridgefest event. It's one of
many accolades from the farming/agriculture community she's received
over the years, with more to come as her nearly 50-year career in public
service comes to an end. (Her first successful election was in 1974, earning
a seat on a county board of commissioners while she was a student at
Michigan State University.)
" Over the years, Michigan's apple growers have stood by my side
supporting my efforts to create the first specialty crop title in Farm Bill
history recognizing Michigan's fruits, vegetables, and diverse crops, and
making sure that Michigan has been reflected on every page of our nation's
farm bill, " Stabenow said at the Ridgefest event.
In other apple news, see our coverage of the current crop, starting on
page 6.
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SEPTEMBER 2023 | VOLUME 62 | ISSUE 9
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