House Ag Committee ranking member Collin Peterson spoke this week at a farm bill meeting put together by the Minnesota Land Stewardship Project near Barrett on Bryan Simon’s farm. Simon who raises grass fed beef and converted his row crop farm to native grasslands spoke with the Congressman. He says the next farm bill needs to support conservation programs.

He agrees with the LSP that there needs to be greater funding for the conservation security program and a raise in supplemental USDA payments that help farmers increase crop diversity and plant cover crops. Simon adds that farmers need to be given incentives to implement environmentally friendly practices.

Simon says he was encouraged by Congressman Peterson wanting to open up CRP for grazing.

20 Land Stewardship Project members attended the meeting. Jim VanDerPoel who farms near Kirkhoven told Peterson he’s frustrated that federal policy favors large farm operations via crop insurance and other programs.