The current Farm Bill and that proposed by the House Ag Committee doesn’t work and provide what farmers need. That’s according to South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke. He’s encouraging Congresswoman Kristi Noem to vote against the House proposal. Sombke also says farmers are oversupplying the market and the current farm legislation has become a welfare check.

He says while crop insurance and a safety net are important for farmers, the federal government is spending a lot of money to prop those up.

Sombke says the present farm program encourages older farmers to stay farming longer and keeps younger ones from getting into the business.

Sombke is calling on South Dakota’s Congressional delegation to change the farm bill so it ensures fair and diverse markets for farmers, restore mandatory funding for programs that improve access to local and regional specialty markets and include a competition title to ensure fair treatment for farmers and ranchers.