The Senate Agriculture Committee hosted its first farm bill field hearing yesterday at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. The hearing featured farmer panels giving input on what they feel needs to happen with the next farm bill. Members consistently told lawmakers farm bill funding levels need maintained, or even increased, after the 2014 farm bill featured $23 billion worth of funding cuts. Before the panel testimony got underway, Committee Chairman, Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts laid the groundwork for the next farm bill.

Ranking Democrat on the committee, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, says it’s time to address the needs of farmers and ranchers. She points out that the current farm bill has a total estimated savings of nearly $100 billion, but those savings cannot be transferred into funding in the next farm bill.

More field hearings are on the schedule and Roberts says the committee also has an email form online to gather input from farmers and ranchers on farm bill programs and considerations for the next farm bill…

The committee will hold its second farm bill field hearing in Michigan.