IN Food Banks Question Congress' Inactivity on Farm Bill

Aug 29, 2023

The Farm Bill is federal legislation governing many nutrition, agriculture and rural development programs, and as the clock ticks down toward its expiration at the end of September, there are rumblings the new Farm Bill will not be done in time.

Much of the funding, up for renewal every five years, goes toward SNAP benefits for low-income Americans.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, is concerned about the amount allocated for SNAP, and for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which helps food banks and pantries keep shelves stocked.

"Together, these programs help bridge the gap for millions of families and individuals who are facing hunger across the country," Weikert Bryant explained.

She believes recent changes in Congress and other facets of the federal budget have pushed Farm Bill 2023 to the back burner. Others have pointed to party-line differences in areas like climate change, and work requirements for SNAP benefits. The bill is expected to total about $1.5 trillion, spent over the next five years.

In the meantime, cost-of-living increases, supply chain shortages and fewer donations to food banks all affect Hoosiers who need help to stretch their family budgets.

Carmen Cumberland, president and CEO of Community Harvest Food Bank in Fort Wayne, said she is hopeful the House and Senate can resolve their differences and begin a draft of the measure.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.