Senator is Working to Preserve Strong Support for Conservation & Research in 2018 Farm Bill Negotiations

FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today toured the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Soil Testing Lab with Howard G. Buffett to learn more about the innovative research NDSU is undertaking to improve soil conservation practices across North Dakota and rural America.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Heitkamp fought for a strong, bipartisan Farm Bill— which included a strong conservation title. As one of nine senators on the Farm Bill conference committee, Heitkamp is fighting against the effort in the House Farm Bill— which narrowly passed with only partisan support— to phase out the Conservation Stewardship Program, which supports soil health research and best practices.

During the visit, Buffett— a farmer, county sheriff, and businessman— shared his perspective on the role of philanthropy in promoting sustainable agriculture practices and reducing poverty. One of the focuses of his Howard G. Buffett Foundation is to improve global food security by promoting adoption of conservation-based agricultural practices including no-till, cover crops, and nutrient management in the United States and the developing world. Buffett wrote a bestselling book, Forty Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World, about his experiences as a farmer and philanthropist working to combat hunger around the world. He is the son of Warren Buffett.

“With 90 percent of North Dakota’s usable land dedicated to production agriculture, keeping our soils healthy is vital to the success of our state’s economy,” said Heitkamp. “For decades, soil conversation has been an important aspect of our state’s farming heritage—and NDSU has played a major role in training the next generation of farmers in conservation methods that prevent over-usage, limit erosion, and mitigate the impacts of drought. Today, I got to show Mr. Buffett—a champion of forward-thinking, sustainable farming practices— some of NDSU’s cutting-edge soil research and how it’s working to preserve the longevity of our family farms. The Farm Bill helps support much of the great research I saw today at NDSU, and as a member of the Farm Bill conference committee, I’m fighting to maintain critical investments in ag research and a strong conservation title that will keep NDSU at the forefront of farm and ranch management and innovation for years to come.”

Heitkamp and Buffett were shown field demonstrations in the NDSU greenhouse— including a rain simulator and a slake test— and examined soil cores from across the state. Researchers described how in times of drought, like North Dakota experienced last year, good soil health is critical to retaining moisture and promoting grass production even in the face of dry conditions.

Since helping to write, negotiate, and pass the 2014 Farm Bill, Heitkamp has spent years talking with North Dakota farmers and ranchers to prepare for the next Farm Bill. The provisions she fought for came about after spending years talking with farmers and ranchers about their priorities, including holding Farm Bill tours across the state in 2016 and 2017. Her meetings with farmers continue even after the Senate Farm Bill passed to gather feedback from North Dakotans. The Senate Agriculture Committee – which Heitkamp sits on – passed the Farm Bill in June, and then the Farm Bill passed in the U.S. Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

Heitkamp has regularly spoken at the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts’ annual meeting. 

Background

Heitkamp has been working to address the soil challenges farmers and ranchers face from drought and other weather-related conditions.

In the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill, Heitkamp successfully worked to include her bill to fix the ARC-County Program to help farmers when commodity prices fall to damaging levels. Heitkamp introduced her bipartisan bill with U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) in October 2017. It specifically responds to concerns from North Dakotans and would direct the Farm Service Agency to use the more widely-available data from the Risk Management Agency as the first choice in yield calculations so that county level data is more accurate and updated, calculate safety net payments so they reflect what’s owed to producers in the physical counties where their farms are located, and make payments more accurate. 

In August 2017, Heitkamp conducted a two-day drought and Farm Bill tour across western North Dakota to hear directly from farmers, ranchers, researchers, and FSA workers about the solutions they need now to weather the drought, and the critical programs that need to be protected and strengthened in the 2018 Farm Bill. This series of meetings built on her 2016 Farm Bill tour.

Heitkamp has also worked to:

• Successfully press USDA to provide additional staffing at FSA offices across North Dakota. After Heitkamp called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to quickly provide workers for understaffed offices, USDA agreed and announced it would temporarily provide more staff at FSA offices around North Dakota to help farmers and ranchers get immediate drought assistance. As FSA offices continue struggling to handle the volume of applications fast enough to serve farmers and ranchers, Heitkamp in October requested additional support from Secretary Perdue.

• Expand haying and livestock assistance to North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

• Meet with farmers and ranchers across North Dakota to hear more about the comprehensive solutions they need, including a roundtable in Bowman with a ranchers, local leaders, and experts, and a drought and farm bill tour across western North Dakota. 

• Secure a promise from IRS to provide assurances to ranchers hit hard by the drought.

• Open up Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for emergency haying and grazing.

• Provide key federal, state, and local informational resources. In June, Heitkamp launched her drought resources webpage to make sure farmers and ranchers can access local, state, and federal tools and assistance. These resources include haying and grazing options, tax information, mental health services, and resource eligibility requirements.

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