Farm Bureau To Focus On Rural Broadband, Farm Bill In 2018

The Indiana Farm Bureau will emphasize rural broadband and federal agriculture legislation in 2018.

The Indiana Farm Bureau lobbies for farmers all over the state; it also sells insurance. Delegates from all of Indiana’s 92 counties met at the end of August to determine the organizations policy positions for next year.

Katrina Hall, the farm bureau’s director of public policy, says without broadband internet access, farmers are working with one hand tied behind their back.

“They may be able to hear you on the radio, but they’re not necessarily always able to access your materials or information from any outlet,” Hall says.

Hall says farmers are also worried about the size of the 2018 federal farm bill — that’s a multi-billion-dollar package of legislation that includes nutritional assistance to low-income Americans.

“Our number one priority is to maintain the safety net and the level of funding for crop insurance,” says Hall.

In the weeks ahead, the farm bureau will set legislative priorities for Indiana’s 2018 legislative session.